Oral history: narration, ritual, memory

psychology

elementary

PS_W02

PS_W03

PS_W08

PS_K03

PS_K07

(in Polish) Zainteresowanie słowem, narracją, wywiadem, historią

The seminar focuses on the so-called oral history seen from a psychological perspective with a broad context, including cultural anthropology and sociology. Oral history is understood here as an interdisciplinary research method consisting in collecting, archiving and analyzing verbal accounts of both historical events and people's personal experiences. The theoretical part of the course is devoted to issues such as autobiographical and cultural memory, narrative, trauma and the philosophical assumptions of oral history. The role and meaning of the spoken word in traditional cultures is also discussed. The practical part includes getting to know the methods of collecting, transcription and analysis of autobiographical interviews as well as conducting and developing an interview with a witness of historical events.

Class topics:

1. Oral history as an interdisciplinary field of knowledge. Usefulness of oral history in psychological research.

2. Contemporary understanding of the concept of narration in psychology and its role in the analysis of oral history relations.

3. The roots of the narrative. Spoken word, myth and ritual in tribal cultures.

4. Autobiographical memory and its importance in constructing self-narratives. Autobiographical memory and traumatic memory. Between memory and history.

5. Memory and identity. The role of memory in Ethiopian culture.

6. Dialogic and humanistic potential of oral history.

7. Oral history in the perspective of the philosophy of dialogue.

8. Towards practice - qualitative research in psychology and other social sciences. Methods of collecting and analyzing autobiographical narratives.

9. The biographical method in sociology.

10. Collection and analysis of material using the narrative autobiographical interview method of Fritz Schütze.

11. From research on testimonies of war: Dreams about Auschwitz. Dream analysis as an example of research on traumatic memory.

12. On contemporary trends in the anthropology and sociology of memory: cultural frameworks of memory, its carriers, social and cultural practices.

13. Memory of places: on social ways of commemorating the crimes of the 20th century.

14. Presentations of individual student projects.

Bruner, J. (1992). Life as a narrative. Pedagogical Quarterly, 2, 3-18.

Chymkowski, R. et al. (ed.) (2018). Anthropology of memory. Issues and selection of texts. Warsaw: Publishing House of the University of Warsaw.

Dopierała, R., Waniek, K. (ed.) (2017). Biography and war. The biographical method in the study of social processes. Łódź: Publishing House of the University of Łódź

Filipkowski, P. (2010). Oral history and war. The experience of a concentration camp in the perspective of biographical narratives. Wrocław: Publishing House of the University of Wrocław.

Gałdowa, A. (ed.) (2000). Human identity. Kraków: Jagiellonian University Publishing House.

Jagodzińska M. (2008) Psychology of memory. Research, theories, applications. Gliwice: Helion Publishing House.

Janusz, B., Gdowska, K., de Barbara, B. (2008). Narration. Theory and practice. Kraków: Jagiellonian University Publishing House.

Jemielniak, D. (ed.) (2012) Qualitative research. Methods and tools. Warsaw: PWN

Kaźmierska, K. (ed.) (2012). The biographical method in sociology. An anthology of texts. Krakow: Nomos

Kaźmierska, K., Waniek, K. (2020). An autobiographical narrative interview: method, technique, analysis. Łódź: Publishing House of the University of Łódź.

Kvale, S. (2011). Conducting interviews. Warsaw: PWN.

Maruszewski, T. (2005). Autobiographical memory. Gdańsk: Gdańsk Psychological Publishing House.

True, M. (1989). Biographical reproduction of reality (On the concept of biographical research by Fritz Schütze), Sociological Studies, vol. 4, 81-98.

Rokuszewska-Pawelek, A. (2001). World War II - memory and identity, Culture and Society, 3-4.

Trzebiński, J. (2002) Narrative construction of reality, [in:] Narration as a way of understanding the world, Gdańskie Wydawnictwo Psychologiczne, Gdańsk, pp. 17-42.

Ulatowska, H. (2011). Narrative in human experience. Second Texts: Literary Theory, Criticism, Interpretation No. 1/2 (127-128), 75-91

Wosińska, W., Zagórska, W. (in press). The word of the night. Narrative analysis of dreams of Auschwitz prisoners. In: E. Dryll, A. Cierpka, K. Małek (eds.), Narrative psychology. About wisdom, love and suffering. Warsaw: Liberi Libri.

The final evaluation consists of:

- attendance at classes - 25%

- involvement (participation in discussions, presentation on a selected topic), - 25%

- conducting and analyzing an interview with a witness to history - 25%

- final exam -25%