Oral history is an important way of capturing certain aspects of the past that might otherwise be lost (Freedman 30).While history books relate the stories of great men and great events (Gregg 174), rarely do they include the experiences of ordinary people- slaves, concentration camp survivors, and the illiterate, for example (Freedman 30).By providing information about the people and emotions of the past, oral history makes sense of the present and gives a glimpse of the likely future (Gregg 174).But because any particular rendition of a life history relies heavily on personal memory, great care must be taken to evaluate and explain the context of an oral history (Honig 139).Like any other historical account, oral history is just one of the many possible versions of an individual’s past (Honig 139).
Work cited
Freedman, Jean R. "Never Underestimate the Power of a Bus: My Journey to oral History." Oral Hisotry Review 29.2 [22002]: 30. Print.
Gregg, Alison, "Planning and Managing an Oral History Collection." Aplis 13.4 [2000]: 174. Print.
Honig, Emily. "Getting to the Source: Striking Lives: Oral History and the Politics of Memory." Journey of Women's History 9.1 [1997]: 139. Print.
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