Geçmişin Sesi

by Paul Thompson, Şehnaz Layıkel (Translator)

Sözlü tarih insanlar etrafında kurulmuş bir tarih türüdür. Hayatı tarihin içine sokar. Kahramanlarını sadece liderler arasından değil, çoğunluğu oluşturan ve o ana kadar bilinmeyen insanlar arasından seçer. Toplumsal sınıflar ve nesiller arasındaki bağlantıyı, dolayısıyla anlayışı sağlar. Ortak anlamları ortaya çıkararak tarihçiye ve sıradan insanlara bir mekana ya da zamana ilişkin aidiyet duygusu kazandırabilir. Sözlü tarih, tarihin kabul edilmiş mitlerini ve baskın yargılarını yeniden değerlendirme, tarihin toplumsal anlamını kökten dönüştürme aracıdır. İnsanlara tarihlerini kendi sözleriyle geri verir. Onlara geçmişi verirken, geleceği kurmak için de yol gösterir. Oysa sözlü kanıtlar aracılığıyla yeniden kazanılabilecek olan geçmişin en uzak noktaları, her geçen gün, her ölümle, insafsızca yok olup gidiyor. Sözlü tarih, yalnızca uzmanlar için değil, aynı zamanda üniversite öğrencileri, ilkokul ve lise öğrencileri için de orijinal projelerini üzerine kurabilecekleri yeni bir temel teşkil edecek. Yalnızca kendi tarihlerini öğrenmekle kalmayacak, yazacaklar da. Bu klasik çalışmasında Paul Thompson, tarih yazımının efsanelerine meydan okuyor. Sözlü tarihin kendi geçmişini inceliyor ve değerlendiriyor. Bu kitap daha gerçekçi ve daha dengeli bir tarih yazmak isteyenler için paha biçilmez bir araçtır.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Oral History

277 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Paul Thompson (born 1935) is a British sociologist and oral historian. Prior to his recent retirement, he held the position of Research Professor of Sociology at the University of Essex. Thompson is regarded as a pioneer in social science research, particularly due to the development of life stories and oral history within sociology and social history.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Joseph N · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wouldn’t normally include books from my course, but I found this one so interesting I read the whole thing. Oral history is a fascinating subject-area, and reading this has inspired me to conduct my own interviews at some point in the near future. It is highly readable and the book on oral history I would recommend to anyone approaching the subject.

[Soph Nova · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up because of some oral history work I was thinking about doing, and it was informative in the history/theory/practice of oral history; however, it is very much a textbook and took me long time to get through given how dry it is.

[Anon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unsurprisingly idealistically promotes oral history as a 'democratic' form of 'social justice' which can give a voice to those so-called 'ordinary people' marginalised in the historical record.

Interesting on historiographical fashion moving away from oral testimony with Ranke's 'professionalisation' of source-criticism elevating documentary evidence. However, long tradition, spanning Herodotus, Bede, Clarendon, and Michelet re-emerging with social historians c.1900 such as Webb and Mayhew.

Methodological questions raised. Do people filter/edit what they say in an interview scenario? From a psychology perspective, people try to make sense of and cohere their stories, aligning them with broader social/cultural discourses (Halbwachs idea of individual testimony revealing collective memories). Whether therapeutic disputed, but certain examples suggest giving a voice to ppl. can be so: Kleinman 'Illness Narratives' (1988), the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa (1997-9), 'Shoah' (1985).

Really interesting, current, important examples. For instance, testimony of the Holocaust. 'Final Account' (2020) by Luke Holland [after book's publication] touches on many of the issues. People trying to reconcile their roles in the Holocaust (just following orders, would be in danger if didn't; never a Nazi; not their problem etc.).

Difference between journalism and oral history unclear: Piers Morgan's 'Life Stories' or Kugan Cassius from IFL TV oral history? Surely yes.

Interesting bits and pieces such as 'nine-tenths of those running Indian restaurants in Britain com[ing] from the single town of Sylhet in the Ganges delta' (probably wouldn't know without oral history).

[scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolutely a joyful read. openly Socialist (writing in the late 1970's), the book champions a field of historical/qualitative enquiry which can allow the researcher to give voice to those who have traditionally been silenced or muffled by the dominant sectors of society.

[Becca · Rating 2 out of 5]

The saving grace of this topic when I had to study it

[Phoenix2 · Rating 3 out of 5]

very helpfull and interesting

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Manual minucioso da prática da história oral, desde as entrevistas até à produção de textos historiográficos, de acordo com o pressuposto de que a metodologia é válida para o conhecimento histórico dos acontecimentos e fenómenos históricos que fogem aos documentos escritos.

«Oral history gives history back to the people in their own words. And in giving a past, it also helps them towards a future of their own making», p.308

[Joel Belliveau · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic and a guide, combining depth and practical pointers.