Oral History Theory

Oral history is increasingly acknowledged as a key tool for anyone studying the history of the recent past, andOral History Theory provides a comprehensive, systematic and accessible overview of this important field. Combining the study of theories drawn from disciplines ranging from linguistics to psychoanalysis with the observations of practitioners and including extensive examples of oral history practice from around the world, this book constitutes the first integrated discussion of oral history theory.

Structured around key themes such as the peculiarities of oral history, the study of the self, subjectivity and intersubjectivity, memory, narrative, performance, power and trauma, each chapter provides a clear and user-friendly explanation of the various theoretical approaches, illustrating these with examples from the rich field of published oral history and making suggestions for the practicing oral historian. This second edition includes a new chapter on trauma and ethics, a preface discussing new developments in the field and updated glossary and further reading sections.

Supplemented by a new companion website (www.routledge.com/cw/abrams) containing a comprehensive range of case studies, audio material and further resources, this book will be invaluable to experienced and novice oral historians, professionals, and students who are new to the discipline.

Lynn Abrams is Professor of Modern History at the University of Glasgow, UK. She has published widely in the field of women’s, gender and oral history, includingMyth and Materiality in a Woman’s World: Shetland 1800-2000 (2005) and The Making of Modern Woman: Europe 1789-1918 (2002).