[Discussion] Summer Institute on Oral History

[Sule Tarakcioglu]

*Summer Institute on Oral History*
*Location:* 	New York
<http://www.h-net.org/announce/geography.cgi?geography=United%20States&location=New%20York>, 

United States
<http://www.h-net.org/announce/geography.cgi?geography=United%20States>

	

	

	

Summer Institute on Oral History
June 13-24, 2005

Living to Tell: Narrating Catastrophe through Oral History

As the 21st century unfolds, catastrophic events worldwide continue to
occur with alarming frequency. The "memory communities" formed through
these events utilize collective memory to solidify identity; justify
historical grievances; create public commemorations, and contest the
sanctioned memories of the state and opposing communities. Memory
communities infuse catastrophe with meaning that is passionate,
pragmatic and shaped by cultural themes of past catastrophic events.
Individual witnesses, suffering from crises of representation, endeavor
to find personal meaning in the aftermath of catastrophe as they
struggle to communicate these events.

Our focus at this year's Summer Institute will be on the challenges of
using oral history to document catastrophe in its immediate aftermath,
as memory communities arise, or are strengthened by the very events that
threaten their existence. We will look at psychological responses to
trauma, as well as the role culture plays in shaping experience. We will
examine how individuals and communities use the memory of catastrophic
events to manipulate relations of power. We will explore the ways in
which oral history method and theory confronts the issues of giving
voice to these experiences, creates the context to bear witness, and
elicits narratives that inspire "thick description." We will also
explore the tensions between commemoration, documentation and
interpretation in developing oral history archives of catastrophic events.

In addition to lectures, presentations and discussions on the themes of
the Institute, we offer practical workshops on interviewing, developing
community history projects, and recording audio and video oral histories
for multimedia environments. The Summer Institute also features video
and audio documentaries, and visits to area museums and archives.

Faculty in the 2004 Summer Institute will include Alessandro Portelli,
Professor of American Literature of the University of Rome; Steve
Rowland, founder and President of CultureWorks of Philadelphia; Linda
Shopes, historian, Pennsylvanian Historical and Museum Commission;,
Massachusetts; Mary Marshall Clark, Director, Oral History Research
Office; Jessica Wiederhorn, Associate Director, Oral History Research
Office; Ronald Grele, Director Emeritus, Oral History Research Office.
Additional faculty to be announced.

Registration is $1,000. Low-cost campus housing is available if
required, at $41.00 a night for a shared room, $82.00 for a private room.

The application deadline is *April 8, 2005*.

Please visit our website for an application and further information (web
address shown below).

Or contact:
Jessica Wiederhorn
(212) 854-4012
jw712@columbia.edu

or
Mary Marshall Clark
(212) 854-2273
mmc17@columbia.edu

	Jessica Wiederhorn
Associate Director
Oral History Research Office
Columbia University
801 Butler Library, Box 20
535 West 114th Street
New York, NY 10027

Telephone: 212.854.4012
Fax: 212.854.5378
Email: jw712@columbia.ed
Email: jw712@columbia.edu <mailto:jw712@columbia.edu>
Visit the website at
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/oral/summer/index.html