Oral History and Living Memory in Cyprus: Performance and Curricular Considerations

Abstract

Oral history has gained significant interest in the past few decades in the social sciences and humanities, including education. Established toward the end of 1940’s, today it is undertaken by many qualitatively inclined researchers who work with human subjects. Additionally, many oral history projects are being implemented in schools, as scientists and teachers recognize the direct educational benefits of oral history. In this essay I present an oral history project, the first of its kind in Cyprus. Emphasis is placed on the performative aspects of the storytelling and the variety in the narration styles, presented through the diverse capacities of the research participants. The educative process and the notion of experience, as observed in the data, illustrate the association between oral history and curriculum studies and their potential gains and enrichment from their systematic interconnection.