Using Oral Histories for Research
Project researchers Toby Butler and Saskia Papadakis went on the Royal Geographical Society’s Ask the Geographer podcast to talk about Using Oral Histories for Research
It was a great opportunity for us talk about how oral history can be used as a research method in geography projects, and particularly how we’ve been using it to research the UK environmental movement. If you’re curious about the unique perspectives you can gain from listening to people’s stories, and what these can tell you about places, people and events, then this is the podcast for you! Listen on Soundcloud, or look up ‘Ask the Geographer’ on your podcast app.
Our colleagues at the RGS have also made a resource for schools and students to go with the podcast, which explains how you can use oral history in geography and includes links to further learning resources. It features the stories of two of the OHEM participants that we mention on the podcast:
Emma Must is an eco-poet and former environmental activist who was involved in trying to stop road building at Twyford Down in the 1990s. You can listen to a clip of Emma’s story, where she talks about her first experience of environmental direct action in December 1992.
Ralph Ryder ran an organisation called Communities Against Toxics (CAT), which researched and campaigned against toxic waste emissions, in his hometown of Ellesmere Port from the 1980s onwards. In this clip from Ralph’s story, he explains how he got involved in environmental activism.
Thank you to Rachel Owen and Simon Pinfield at the RGS for producing these brilliant resources.
