The Oral History Interview – A Relationship and Space of Trust

The oral history interview is a “multi-layered communicative event”. It is a unique, active event, reflective of a specific culture and of a particular time and space. Interviews, more precisely biographical interviews, are the tool I have been using for decades. The relationship between the intervi...

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Main Author: Vrzgulová Monika
Format: Article
Language:ces
Published: Sciendo 2019-12-01
Series:Slovenský Národopis
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.2478/se-2019-0025
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spelling doaj-068c217423da4ecabab49fef2aeecac72021-09-05T14:01:50ZcesSciendo Slovenský Národopis1339-93572019-12-0167443044010.2478/se-2019-0025se-2019-0025The Oral History Interview – A Relationship and Space of TrustVrzgulová Monika0PhDr. Monika Vrzgulová, CSc., Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Klemensova 19, 813 64BratislavaThe oral history interview is a “multi-layered communicative event”. It is a unique, active event, reflective of a specific culture and of a particular time and space. Interviews, more precisely biographical interviews, are the tool I have been using for decades. The relationship between the interviewer and interviewee is, therefore, an essential question for me. I interview people to find out what happened to them, how they felt about it, how they recall it and what wider public memory they draw upon. Focused on the biographical narratives, as well as in-depth and repeated interviews, I have constantly faced ethical and moral questions in accordance with my role as a listener, and as a partner in the interview, but also as a scholar with the goal of using the interview in my scientific work. In my text, I would like to develop Hourig Attarian’s inspiring ideas on self-reflexivity, which brings to light the grey zones that we encounter in our work. This is often a difficult and fragile process. It is central to the connections that I create with the interviewees in my projects. These people always affect the course of my work, but also me personally. This balancing act is an exercise. I try to understand my own limits, I try to push my own boundaries, and assess how each of these circumstances impacts my research.https://doi.org/10.2478/se-2019-0025oral history methodbiographical interviewrelationvulnerabilitytrustemotions
collection DOAJ
language ces
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Vrzgulová Monika
spellingShingle Vrzgulová Monika
The Oral History Interview – A Relationship and Space of Trust
Slovenský Národopis
oral history method
biographical interview
relation
vulnerability
trust
emotions
author_facet Vrzgulová Monika
author_sort Vrzgulová Monika
title The Oral History Interview – A Relationship and Space of Trust
title_short The Oral History Interview – A Relationship and Space of Trust
title_full The Oral History Interview – A Relationship and Space of Trust
title_fullStr The Oral History Interview – A Relationship and Space of Trust
title_full_unstemmed The Oral History Interview – A Relationship and Space of Trust
title_sort oral history interview – a relationship and space of trust
publisher Sciendo
series Slovenský Národopis
issn 1339-9357
publishDate 2019-12-01
description The oral history interview is a “multi-layered communicative event”. It is a unique, active event, reflective of a specific culture and of a particular time and space. Interviews, more precisely biographical interviews, are the tool I have been using for decades. The relationship between the interviewer and interviewee is, therefore, an essential question for me. I interview people to find out what happened to them, how they felt about it, how they recall it and what wider public memory they draw upon. Focused on the biographical narratives, as well as in-depth and repeated interviews, I have constantly faced ethical and moral questions in accordance with my role as a listener, and as a partner in the interview, but also as a scholar with the goal of using the interview in my scientific work. In my text, I would like to develop Hourig Attarian’s inspiring ideas on self-reflexivity, which brings to light the grey zones that we encounter in our work. This is often a difficult and fragile process. It is central to the connections that I create with the interviewees in my projects. These people always affect the course of my work, but also me personally. This balancing act is an exercise. I try to understand my own limits, I try to push my own boundaries, and assess how each of these circumstances impacts my research.
topic oral history method
biographical interview
relation
vulnerability
trust
emotions
url https://doi.org/10.2478/se-2019-0025
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