Telling people's histories : an exploration of community history-making from 1970-2000
This thesis explores the practice of community history-making in England in the period 1970 to 2000. Community history has been seen as a radical challenge to conventional history-making, with process and participation often as important as the end product. I explore the origins and development of community history, taking History Workshop, the Federation of Worker Writers and Community Publishers, and the Oral History Society as the starting points. These movements all sought to democratise the practice of history, and to challenge ideas about who could make history, and I consider the influence of these movements on understandings and practice of community history. I examine how groups committed to democratic history-making work in practice, and the tensions that may arise in the process, through three in-depth case studies of community history groups: QueenSpark, Brighton; Bradford Heritage Recording Unit; and Living Archive, Milton Keynes. Whilst initial critiques tended to focus on the âvalue' and content of the histories produced by such groups, my findings suggest that these critiques have ignored the complicated factors at play in the making of these histories. These groups had to contend with a
Sitzia, Lorraine
D016.14 Oral history ; HT Communities. Classes. Races
Telling people's histories : an exploration of community history-making from 1970-2000. This thesis explores the practice of community history-making in England in the period 1970 to 2000. Community history has been seen as a radical challenge to conventional history-making, with process and participation often as important as the end product. I explore the origins and development of community history, taking History Workshop, the Federation of Worker Writers and Community Publishers, and the Oral History Society as the starting points. These movements all sought to democratise the practice of history, and to challenge ideas about who could make history, and I consider the influence of these movements on understandings and practice of community history. I examine how groups committed to democratic history-making work in practice, and the tensions that may arise in the process, through three in-depth case studies of community history groups: QueenSpark, Brighton; Bradford Heritage Recording Unit; and Living Archive, Milton Keynes. Whilst initial critiques tended to focus on the âvalue' and content of the histories produced by such groups, my findings suggest that these critiques have ignored the complicated factors at play in the making of these histories. These groups had to contend with a
telling people history exploration community history making explores practice community history making england_period community history see radical challenge_conventional history making process participation often important end product explore origin_development community history take history workshop federation worker writers community oral history society start_point movement seek practice history challenge_idea could_make history consider influence movement understandings practice community history examine group commit democratic history making work practice tension may arise process depth_case study community history group brighton bradford heritage recording unit living archive whilst initial critique tend_focus value content history produce group finding_suggest critique ignore complicate factor_play make history group contend