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Italian Oral History Institute Los Angeles, California
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I.O.H.I. Italian Oral History Institute

An archive of Italian life in California, built from people's own words.

Education

Collecting and Connecting

Italian culture in Los Angeles, taught through a series of lectures and guided research projects.

The course

Learn to collect, then go and collect

Collecting and Connecting was designed for a general public rather than for specialists. It introduced oral history, the methods of field collecting and the Italian cultural resources of Los Angeles in a way that anyone could follow and then put to use.

Over four sessions in February and March 2001, taught by the Institute's director with guest speakers, students learned how to map the Italian communities of the city and how to conduct their own guided research. The course did not end with a grade. It ended with material contributed directly to the Institute's archive and programs.

What students did

  • Plan and prepare an oral history interview
  • Use recording equipment with confidence
  • Find and approach potential interviewees
  • Take useful field notes and keep a record of consent
  • Map the places and institutions that matter to a community

Why the model works

Teaching fieldwork to the public turns listeners into participants. A course that produces real recordings leaves the community with more than a memory of an interesting evening, and it gives the Institute new material and new volunteers at the same time.