Essay On Oral History Interview
For my oral history interview, I spoke to 59-year-old Douglas Cousino. He was born on May 11, 1957 and is a white American.
Although I had thought of family and friends back in the United States that could potentially be helpful for a 60s interview, I realized I wanted a face-to-face conversation, not a video call. With a local face-to-face interview, I can observe a person’s body language and make better eye contact, while also having the practical flexibility regarding time zones and distance.
While the late 1960s in the US did not just consist of hippies, drugs and protests, these aspects have shaped common perceptions of that particular time period. I especially wanted to explore a perspective that differed from the anti-authoritarian …show more content…
Some topics I wanted to explore were Vietnam, race riots and hippie culture. I ensured that my questions would be open ended, such as beginning my questions with “how did you feel about [event]?” and then “why do you feel that way?” In terms of the interview structure, I thought of beginning with more general and “get to know you” questions, then slowly move towards more controversial and sensitive topics, and then wind down with easier questions at the end. I thought it might also be helpful for me to audio record the interview to fill in gaps in case my memory failed to remember key points. Once again, since Doug and I were already in a comfortable relationship, he was more than willing to let me record the interview, and take notes on a laptop in front of him.
The actual oral history interview happened after lunch with his family. I wanted a quieter space and he brought me to their second-floor family room where there were tables, chairs and a comfortable couch. I wanted him to be relaxed so he sat in his rocking chair while I sat on the couch diagonally facing him. I could faintly hear the commotion of games that were being played by his family and my fellow NYUAD students downstairs but for the most part, the noise was barely perceivable and did not distract from the
Although I had thought of family and friends back in the United States that could potentially be helpful for a 60s interview, I realized I wanted a face-to-face conversation, not a video call. With a local face-to-face interview, I can observe a person’s body language and make better eye contact, while also having the practical flexibility regarding time zones and distance.
While the late 1960s in the US did not just consist of hippies, drugs and protests, these aspects have shaped common perceptions of that particular time period. I especially wanted to explore a perspective that differed from the anti-authoritarian …show more content…
Some topics I wanted to explore were Vietnam, race riots and hippie culture. I ensured that my questions would be open ended, such as beginning my questions with “how did you feel about [event]?” and then “why do you feel that way?” In terms of the interview structure, I thought of beginning with more general and “get to know you” questions, then slowly move towards more controversial and sensitive topics, and then wind down with easier questions at the end. I thought it might also be helpful for me to audio record the interview to fill in gaps in case my memory failed to remember key points. Once again, since Doug and I were already in a comfortable relationship, he was more than willing to let me record the interview, and take notes on a laptop in front of him.
The actual oral history interview happened after lunch with his family. I wanted a quieter space and he brought me to their second-floor family room where there were tables, chairs and a comfortable couch. I wanted him to be relaxed so he sat in his rocking chair while I sat on the couch diagonally facing him. I could faintly hear the commotion of games that were being played by his family and my fellow NYUAD students downstairs but for the most part, the noise was barely perceivable and did not distract from the