Oral History

Department of History

The Oral History Program at ºÚÁÏÍø is an instructional program within the History Department. Students can take oral history classes in conjunction with other courses or can pursue research, including thesis research, using oral history.

Housed in the Department of History, the program is designed to teach and train history students in the use of materials that focus on largely unwritten sources. Oral History at ºÚÁÏÍø is an instructional program offering students an enhanced knowledge of the techniques and methodologies of oral information gathering and its uses in teaching and research. It also serves as an oral history resource for educational and community groups.

The Oral History Program was designed to aid students in their research, since oral history is important in the study of the human experience. History majors, musicologists and social science credential students with a history concentration, are urged to take HIST 402- Oral Historical Methods. Students in this course will learn how to design an oral history project, and to conduct interviews. This course is especially helpful for students interested in local history, the history of the family, and communities whose written records have not been included in traditional historical materials. There will also be various oral history workshops that focus on the basics of how to do oral history in the academy and community. 

Oral History is not a degree granting program. However, students can incorporate oral history into their programs and earn either a Bachelor or Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies. And unlike many oral history programs, the ºÚÁÏÍø program is not primarily a collection program that initiates oral history projects.

The Oral History Program also serves as a resource for faculty, students and local community groups, including K-12 schools, to help them promote and use oral history in both teaching and research. An instructional video, Adventures in Oral History: Oral History in the K-12 Classroom, made in cooperation with the Long Beach Unified School District, is available for a small shipping and handling fee.

Workshops to be announced soon!

Program Director: 
Ali IÄŸmen
ali.igmen@csulb.edu 
FO2-116

Carie Rael
carie.rael@csulb.edu 
F02-118

Michiko Takeuchi 
michiko.Takeuchi@csulb.edu
F02-114

Sean Smith
sean.smith@csulb.edu  
F02-212

Donna Binkiewicz
donna.Binkiewicz@csulb.edu
F02-107

Digital Archivist:   
Bennie Stoll
bennie.Stoll@csulb.edu  
Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA)