On certain problems and methods of work with texts of oral history

Abstract

The article is devoted to the methods of work with texts of oral history in total
and has theoretic-methodological character. The author critically assesses spread in
today historical science methods of work with the texts of oral history. The article
concerns cultural contexts, in which memory and oblivion work carries on, as well
as difficulties of intertwinement of individual and social memories. It considers
oral history through the prism of narrative; the author compares different types
of narrative analyses as well as while using the concept of a person’s life story
tries to analyse the possibilities of applying psychological methods and techniques
in the oral history. The author considers that only at such method a researcher
receives possibilities to approach a responder’s personality with a toolkit of criticism
though keeping the position of respect and trust, and a narrator stops being
just an illustrator of these or those processes, opinions, ideologies, and becomes a
true hero and an actor of his own history.