Experiences and Reflections in Oral History by Morteza Rasoulipoor

Essential book for formulating oral history

Formulating experiences and reflections in a didactic work

Elham Saleh
Translated by Rouhollah Golmoradi

2016-4-10

As it is appeared from its title, the book is a didactic one. This book "Experiences and Reflections in Oral History'' examines activities or in other words, levels related to oral history such as epistemological basics, finding subject, framing questions, interviews technics, demodulation, processing and setting. It begins with author introduction and ''finding subject and preparing for interview '' is one of its primary chapters.

"Experiences and Reflections in Oral History" informs audience with current methods for making a good conversation to formulate oral history.

In this chapter, author focuses well on importance of "pre interview" and advices to people that are engaging in oral history to apply "pre interview" in interviews. In this book, "pre interview" means a short and general conversation that during it, narrator and interviewer will know each other well and talk about general issues but just this short and general dialogue has an essential role in proceeding interview.

In the same chapter, he considers having self-steam, enough informing with recording, picture and photograph equipment, being on time in interview place, avoiding any judgement and histrionics, and being skillful on topic as some features of interviewer.

The last chapter of book is "New Questions in Oral History of devotion and Martyrdom" and addresses particularly to oral history of devotion and martyrdom.

Interview is important as author dedicates another chapter titled "Importance of Dialogue and Criteria of Successful Interview" to this topic. In this chapter, he emphasizes that one can recognizes interviewee based on written dialogue of oral history. Author state that: "moreover physical characteristics, in a successful interview, there is unfolded also mental and behavioral and also social features of people. Sometimes, way of speaking differentiates people. Using words, phrases and comments, tone if stating words, accents and dialects also differentiate them.

If questions became framed particularly, accurately and detailed, so interviewee answers will become more concrete and specific.

In chapter of ""Importance of Dialogue and Criteria of Successful Interview", there is taught this point that in oral history dialogues interviewer must avoid asking general questions: " If questions became framed particularly, accurately and detailed, so interviewee answers will become more concrete and specific. Otherwise, their statements tend to talking about generals and become superficial.

The book addresses historical trend of oral history work and "evolutions in concept of history".

The final chapter of the book also makes it distinctive. It is called "New Questions in Oral History of devotion and Martyrdom" that particularly addresses to oral history of devotion and martyrdom that is so vital regarding to Holy Defense period (8 years) and many martyrs during it, and also period of champion for realization of Islamic Revolution.

Interview is important as author dedicates a chapter about "Importance of Dialogue and Criteria of Successful Interview".

In this chapter, interviewee of altruism and martyrdom divided three groups: first group, interview or dialogue with people who are not among us now (martyrs), second group, interview with people who has spoken and are speaking about martyrs, and third group, martyr, altruist, and myrmidon (janbazan) families. Third group is interviewed independently.

In this chapter, Rasoulipoor offers also a suggestion for oral history narrators and researchers: "it is worth that they reconsider conceptual framework of altruism and martyrdom with a historical and psychological approach in four periods (before revolution, during revolution, during war and after war) and posing accurate questions show that how value concepts has changed after war. With the same approach, they must be careful one cannot generalize mythical and quixotic mentality of society of 1980s to later times.

There is a positive point for the book and it is critique of some books about oral history. The books are: "Memories of Mohamad Ebrahim'e Amir Teimoor Kalali", "In Snarl of Event", " Posterities and Goers". It should be noted that in critique of "Memories of Mohamad Ebrahim'e Amir Teimoor Kalali" and "Posterities and Goers", reader has identity of book but "In Snarl of Event" lack of it that it seems author omitted it.

"Pre interview" means a short and general conversation that during it, narrator and interviewer will know each other well and talk about general issues

"Other chapters of the book are: "Validity of Oral Evidence in Recognizing History", "Oral History with Which Approach", "Concept of History in the Past", "Evolutions in Concept of History", "Concept of Narrative in History", "Historical Trend of Oral History Work", "Formulating in Oral History", and "Edition".

"Experiences and Reflections in Oral History" is an educational book that focuses on importance and necessity of oral history very well and at the same time, informs audience with current methods for making a good conversation to formulate oral history. Maybe it seems its points are superficial but just these seemingly inconspicuous points are main keys of oral history. Studying of this book is useful for practitioners of oral history.

M. Rasoulipoor, Experiences and Reflections in Oral History, Institute of Contemporary Iran History Studies, 2015, p. 231.