Archival Documents and Oral History - Essay Example

Running Head: ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTS AND ORAL HISTORY Archival documents and oral history Name Course Instructor Date ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTS AND ORAL HISTORY ARE SOURCES OF HISTORICAL DATA. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES LINKED TO THIS HISTORIOGRAPHICAL METHOD? Introduction In the past, historical data was mainly in the form of myths, legends and other forms of oral traditions. Although they are still used by some historians, these forms of historical data are more often regarded as unreliable sources as they become modified by different people hence losing the true meaning they had. Myths and legends are therefore losing meaning and in the recent past other historiographical methods have come up and they are indeed better sources of historical data. In particular, archival documents and oral history have gained much popularity in the field of history. Archival documents are historical publishing’s or writings which are preserved and stored in public archives. Public archives are established by an act of parliament and they mainly serve to store those documents that are government related. They may also serve to preserve works of prominent figures from the general public. These documents are important for future reference by government personnel and researchers. Oral history on the other hand comprise of historical information that is given by word of mouth mostly through interviews and is later documented and published. Such documents may be placed in public archives or stored using other safe means. These historiographical methods provide a better means of historical data. However, many historians and researchers feel that they are not effective ion carrying out this task. The paper will discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages of using archival documents and oral history as historical data (Ritchie, 2003). Advantages of archival documents and oral history Archival documents and oral history presents a new mode of understanding history in addition to the former method of historical data collection through myths or legends. There are many advantages to the use of these methods. To begin with, archival documents stored in public archives are a safe way of protecting and safeguarding government documents for future reference. Public archives are established through an act of parliament and accessibility to these facilities is only granted to members of the public who have direct interest with the documents and are properly authorized to do so. Such documents contain essential information that could be useful to researchers and politician in future. They can be retrieved as evidence and when certain crucial decision need to be made based on real facts. Oral history is considered a better historiographical method than the more common methods such as written sources and public documents. It has brought liberation and freedom against oppression and exclusion among the weaker individuals of society who also form part of history such as women, indigenous people, migrants and workers. This is because oral history is obtained from recordings and collection of memories of certain prominent people in the community and put down on historical documents. This information therefore, is in many cases obtained from less esteemed individuals thus encouraging their appreciation and integration into society. In addition, use of oral history has enabled students to understand history in an easier way. The education system has been reviewed from the more rigid system that was full of factual accounts and has emphasized on analytical skills that involve disclosure of historical materials through indigenous viewpoints. There has been a shift from a theoretical mode of teaching history to a practical approach and in actual fact some tertiary institutions introduce their students to history practice during the first year of study. Oral history therefore, enables students to relate their present lives with the past and they are able to draw the relationships between culture and history. Oral history and archival documents have allowed continuity of history. In the current world, communication has become digitized through the internet and telephone thus losing contact with the past information. Through this historiographical methods, past information can be recorded and documents making it easy to be reviewed by future generations. Since archival documents and oral history are well documents they can be preserved thus provide historical information other than the digital modes where information can be easily lost. Besides integrating all individuals in society, oral history enables interaction of individuals in society. For instance, researchers and history students have to reach to people in the grass roots in order to extract information from them. In so doing, a gap between the privileged and the less privileged is reconciled and everyone feels appreciated and useful. Researchers are also able to collect a wealth of information that could not be found elsewhere. History maybe portrayed in other sources such as newspapers, government documents and speeches. However, this methods neglect a more important aspect of history that is concerned with private and personal experiences (Walbrt, 2011). Oral history embraces this aspect whereby the feeling, disappointments and aspirations of the people directly involved in this history can be determined. Oral history opens up a forum of enquiry whereby the researcher or the student can ask questions that related to his field of study. Indeed, majority of the history concerning certain individuals in society is documented in contemporary documents and papers. However, this only forms the basics and there is much that people know that has not been put down on paper. Oral history therefore, will enable such matters to be brought out in the interviews. Theoretical history can be understood in a better way through oral history. Oral history has enhanced preservation of culture in the country. It is quite evident that most of the information given in the interviews regards the culture of a certain people and the historical events that unfolded in the past. For this reason, the culture of different communities can be revealed and it is actually kept alive through oral history. The indigenous people particularly contribute greatly to the cultural wealth of the country and they are the ones mostly involved in oral history (Walbrt, 2011). Disadvantages of archival documents and oral history Evidently, even with oral history and archival documents are sources of historical data there are some disadvantages linked to this historiographical methods. For instance, myths are largely considered to be unreliable among historians whereby they are largely referred to denunciation as opposed to a canon of desired knowledge. According to Bennett (1988), many historians are viewed to object the use of legends and myths while mainly focusing on historiographical method. It is evident that myths are not largely agreed to be part of what accounts as admissible historical data that forms the larger part of historiographical method. Bennett (1988) maintains that, although myths can be considered to be reliable at some instances, this method of historiographical method is very poor when focusing on unraveling back various facts. Bennett (1988) maintains that, further, since 1960s there is a large display of a disadvantage in that many historians have adapted a cognizant of the implicit biases of historical method that largely relies on written sources as well as public documents (Bennett, 1988). Normally the use of oral history and archival documents is involved in the shortening of the time frame which is usually available for interrogation therefore allowing exploration of what is described in traditionally silences on the voices of indigenous people, migrants, workers and women. Recently, the use of oral history has widely sparked much debate based on its reliability of its sources with main focus on subjectivity and objectivity. It is further notable that with respect to archival sources there is lacking in problem selection. According to Bennett (1988), it is quite evident that the research initiated by historians is constantly changing with time where there is a wider shift from what was used to be known as political, economic and traditional diplomatic towards today new approaches thus making historiographical method hard to adapt with these changes (Bennett, 1988). Due to this it is quite important that to have a greater understanding of the historiographical method so as to ensure that historians are able to adapt with today changing times. Another major disadvantage is that an individual testimony in regard to historiographical method is largely biased and more two accounts within the same event widely contradict. Bennett (1988) maintains that, this implies that even with shared memories by a particular individual can be largely contradictory since psychology has taught us to be involved in making alterations in the intended memory with the larger expectation in their designated beliefs in order to ensure they make sense. According to Nicholas and Peter (1993), archival documents can take time to be processed. This is because a particular archive may be needed quickly and it can only be sent after years. The indexation by archives the retrieval of a particular document by a history researcher can create a huge scope for a particular selection. Nicholas and Peter (1993) maintain that, due to this reason, many historical researchers have resulted to other alternative on historiographical method. Also, these methods require various level of protection as a way of safeguarding both privacy and national interests. This therefore requires a file to be held for long before it is considered to be active in a given storage room (Nicholas and Peter, 1993). According to Nicholas and Peter (1993), published documents are also archival. These documents have been viewed to traditionally cream off what was known to be the best postgraduate research. The increase in many historical publishers has resulted to cutting back within tertiary changing everything to a profit making business. Today, the reading market for published document and books is largely shrinking and it is quite evident that it is no longer profitable to publish academic journal. Nicholas and Peter (1993) maintain that, due to these problems most publishing houses to international market and as a result there is a creation of huge pressures on internationalizing on historical research output. Similar arguments are also made in relation to journals. These historiographical methods have countervailing tendencies such as publications that are found online which are relatively considered not to be safe as information is greatly misused by individuals (Nicholas and Peter, 1993). Nicholas and Peter (1993) maintains that, focusing on monuments as archival documents, they do not widely conform to the great representation of class, gender and race and many are times it is viewed as a counter hegemonic when they are representing indigenous Australia, women as well as common people. According to Nicholas and Peter (1993), these method of conveying historical information is less imposing and mostly it occupies less visible public spaces where there are often poorly accessible or in most cases they are installed on private land. It is quite observable that functionless and bigger memorials are only preserved for public space for men who made the nation which in many cases does not consider gender. Further, information or memory that is largely represented through memorials could face change thus distorting the original information. Nicholas and Peter (1993) assert that, distorting of information can as well be due to re-writing which is allowed in the creation of monuments. Focus on museums; it is quite evident that an imperial outlook of museums has largely led to neglect of a distinctly Australian national representation (Nicholas and Peter, 1993). In conclusion, it is quite evident that the use of oral history and archival documents and there is a possibility that the use of this historiographical method will project to higher heights. With the various advantages, there is need for historical researchers to ensure that these advantages are maintained to ensure students learning history are able to acquire substantial information and knowledge regarding historical facts. These advantages could also be used by educational reforms so as to give students more knowledge regarding history. It is important while focusing on historiographical method to chose a method that is more reliability over subjectivity and objectivity. Based on disadvantages, it is important that researchers build on them to ensure they produce information that reliable. By so doing, historians will always agreed on what largely count as admissible historical data. References Bennett, T. (1988). Out of which past? Critical reflections on Australian museum and heritage policy. Brisbane: institute for cultural policy studies, Griffins university pp.1-29 Nicholas, S and Peter, R. (1993). Unshackling the past’ in Gillian Whitlock and Gail Reekie (eds) uncertain beginnings. Brisbane: University of Queensland press, pp 75-88 Ritchie, D. (2003). Doing oral history. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Walbrt, K. (2011). The value of oral history. 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