What will happen for oral history in the future?
Hamid Ghazvini
Translated by: M.B. Khoshnevisan
2024-11-19
The growth of technology and public access to communication facilities in various fields and expansion of using artificial intelligence (AI) have faced the future of some jobs with ambiguity and hesitation. Will oral history also suffer this fate and join the ring of disciplines that gradually fade, and their importance decrease?
In response to the question, we must see what is the axis of oral history around which this field was formed and what is its position in the future?
It is clear that man, his observation, feeling and action are the focus of oral history. The phenomenon will never go out of context and the importance of its surrounding disciplines will not be reduced. In a general assessment, it seems that oral history is increasingly related to the fields of anthropology, philosophy, sociology, psychology, cultural studies, art, literature and other disciplines and will continue to exist.
We should not forget that the public interest in studying people's experiences and the desire to know the connection between the current situation and past events and the significance of finding personal and social identity will continue to maintain oral history as a research tool. Because of this, oral history will be considered an important source for all scientific and work fields and can be used in media, documentaries and even art projects and be widely available to the public.
These interactions can help enrich scientific studies and reveal new angles of human existence in different actions. On the other hand, oral history is a powerful tool for documentation and social, political and cultural analysis because it records the views and experiences of ordinary people.
Thus, with the advancement of audio and video recording technologies and the transcription of texts, oral history will be equipped with a better tool for data collection, extraction and archiving. These technologies enable more accurate and high-quality documentation and help historians present information in a more interactive and multimedia way. In addition, artificial intelligence will help in asking questions, identifying topics and finding more narrators.
Perhaps, the most important challenge facing this field is the unregulated publication of memoirs and not complying with ethical and legal frameworks in this field, for which the society will consider the necessary measures.
Also, another question is, what skills should the oral history activist learn in order to be more fortunate to get a suitable job opportunity in the future? Is it enough to have common abilities to conduct interviews, write and edit the work to be present in the future digital world?
Some studies related to future research show that in addition to conventional knowledge and expertise in each field, the most important skills are to have a critical view based on analytical and creative thinking and paying attention to details. The lack of this type of thinking leads to getting caught up in superficial attitudes to all social phenomena, which is ineffective in interviewing and producing work. In fact, the oral history activist needs a multi-dimensional and critical view in which he can identify new subjects, design questions and complete the oral history project according to the needs of the audience.
Moreover, technological knowledge, the ability to work with computer software, the ability to cooperate with others, and the skill in quality control are other skills that an oral history activist should not neglect.
Number of Visits: 792
The latest
Most visited
How to send Imam's announcements to Iran
In the first part, the issue of funds, Hajj Sheikh Nasrallah Khalkhali - who represented most of the religious authorities - was also the representative of Imam. In Najaf, there was a money exchange office that cooperated with the money exchange offices in Tehran. Some of the funds were exchanged through him.Operation Beit al-Moqaddas and Liberation of Khorramshahr
After Operation Fat’h al-Mobin, we traveled to Kermanshah and visited Sar-e-Pol-e-Zahab before heading to Ilam. During Operation Beit al-Moqaddas, the 27th Brigade was still receiving support from the West. We maintained contact with individuals who had previously worked in Area 7 and were now leading the brigade. It was through these connections that I learned about Operation Beit al-Moqaddas.Memoirs of Hujjat al-Islam Reza Motalebi
Hujjat al-Islam Reza Motalebi is a cleric from Isfahan. Before the revolution, he was the imam of the Fallah Mosque – which was later renamed Abuzar Mosque. By his presence and efforts, Abuzar Mosque soon became a base for supporters of the Imam and the revolution. After the victory of the revolution, he played a role in uniting forces and maintaining political vitality in southwest Tehran.The Necessity of Receiving Feedback in Oral History
Whenever we engage in a task, we naturally seek ways to evaluate our performance — to correct shortcomings and enhance strengths. Such refinement is only possible through the feedback we receive from others. Consider, for instance, a basketball player whose shots are consistently accurate; should he begin shooting blindfolded, his success rate would rapidly decline, as he would be deprived of essential feedback from each attempt.
