Thesis: Oral History in Iranian Architectural History



10 September 2011

The defense session for the thesis of Seyyedeh Mitra Hashemi under the title of "Oral History in Iranian Architectural History: An Introduction to Theoretical and Practical Issues" would be held at Architecture and Urban Planning Faculty of Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran on September 12th, 2:00 PM, for MA degree on Iranian Architecture Studies. This thesis is about to present an study on theoretical and practical aspects of Oral history and their connection with Architecture History. The abstract is as follow:

Many people, who know the Iranian architecture, will die soon and as a result of this event, we will miss a great knowledge about Iranian architecture. Despite the vast importance of oral evidences in architectural history, especially the Iranian one, there is no research on the relationship between oral history and architectural history. This research analyses this relationship in theory and practice.
Theoretical issues start with discussions about the essence of history, oral history, and architectural history; with an analysis of their similarities and dissimilarities. These discussions lead us to a definition about oral history of Iranian architecture. The next issue is about the benefits of oral history in architectural history. The last issue includes the background of oral history and its application in architectural history, especially the Iranian one.
Practical issues start with the method of gathering oral evidences, with a focus on the basics of interview. The next issue is about the process of analyzing and archiving the interviews. The last issue includes the methods and problems of organizing and publishing this kind of historical narratives.
This research prepare theoretical and practical principles of oral history in Iranian architectural history for researchers that want to find and save the knowledge of people who know the Iranian architecture.



 
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Omissions in the Editing of Oral History

After the completion of interview sessions, the original recordings are archived, the interviews are transcribed, proofread, and re-listened to. If the material possesses the qualities required for publication in the form of an article or a book, the editing process must begin. In general, understanding a verbatim transcription of an interview is often not straightforward and requires editing so that it may be transformed into a fluent, well-documented text that is easy to comprehend.
Experts’ Answers to Oral History Questions

100 Questions/8

We asked several researchers and activists in the field of oral history to express their views on oral history questions. The names of each participant are listed at the beginning of their answers, and the text of all answers will be published on this portal by the end of the week. The goal of this project is to open new doors to an issue and promote scientific discussions in the field of oral history.

The Role of Objects in Oral Narrative

Philosophers refer to anything that exists—or possesses the potential to exist—as an object. This concept may manifest in material forms, abstract notions, and even human emotions and lived experiences. In other words, an object encompasses a vast spectrum of beings and phenomena, each endowed with particular attributes and characteristics, and apprehensible in diverse modalities.
Experts’ Answers to Oral History Questions

100 Questions/6

We asked several researchers and activists in the field of oral history to express their views on oral history questions. The names of each participant are listed at the beginning of their answers, and the text of all answers will be published on this portal by the end of the week. The goal of this project is to open new doors to an issue and promote scientific discussions in the field of oral history.