Wednesday 19th March 12.30-1.45pm, Friston 117
Professor Paul Thompson with Dr Margaretta Jolly:
‘Feminist Pioneers of Social Research and of Everyday Experiment: An Oral History Perspective’
This seminar introduced two major oral histories recently archived at the Qualidata and The British Library, Pioneers of Social Research and Sisterhood and After: The Women’s Liberation Oral History Project. Thompson is internationally recognised as a pioneer of oral history-based research and oral history as a radical movement, and, in dialogue with Jolly, discussed the impact of feminism on everyday lives of British public intellectuals, including Stuart and Catherine Hall.
You can listen to the event here:
Prof Paul Thompson
The seminar was followed by:
Postgraduate Masterclass: ‘Oral History Interviewing From the Inside’
A Conversation with Professor Paul Thompson and Professor Joanna Bornat.
Wed 19 March 4-5.30pm, Silverstone SB 121
This masterclass was organised as an open discussion of classic oral history methods and themes, including the particularities of oral history interviewing, ethical issues, themes for research, reanalysis and archiving. Students and faculty were warmly encouraged to bring examples of projects, interviews or archives of their own to talk about.
You can listen to the event here:
Prof Joanna Bornat
Professor Paul Thompson, Emeritus at the University of Essex, is internationally recognised as a pioneer of the use of oral history and life story interviews in social research and also as a key intellectual instigator of an outstanding oral history collection at The British Library. He is Founder Editor of the journal Oral History (from 1970) and was formative in the development of the Oral History Society in the UK (1973). Subsequently he co-founded, with Asa Briggs, National Life Stories (NLS) at the British Library National Sound Archive (1987). Thompson’s book The Voice of the Past (1978) is the classic text on the oral history method and is currently being revised for a fourth edition. He has written many other books including Living the Fishing about Scottish fishing communities, City Lives about city financiers, Growing Up in Stepfamilies, and most recently, Jamaican Hands Across the Atlantic.
Professor Joanna Bornat, Emeritus at the Open University, is a specialist in oral history, ageing and old age. Her research and publications include oral history approaches to remembering in care settings, older people and intergenerational family relationships and the contribution of overseas trained doctors to the development of geriatric medicine as well as collective memories of religious and secular ceremonies in Europe. Her methodological interests lie in the implications of the re-use or secondary analysis of archived interviews and comparative oral history. She has for many years been a committee member of the Oral History Society and joint editor of the journal Oral History. She is a founder member of the Centre for Ageing and Biographical Studies.
Thompson, Bornat and Jolly after the Masterclass