Oral history in South Africa: Autoethnography, methodologies and ethics
Cape Town: AOSIS Publishing (2025), 228 pp.
Contains acronyms pp. xv-xvii, bibliogr. pp. 179-196, index
ISBN 978-1-990982-15-6 (print); 978-1-990982-17-0 (pdf)
"Colonial and apartheid-era historical narratives in South Africa often disregard oral testimonies, leaving significant gaps in understanding the country’s rich and complex past. This scholarly book explores the methodologies and ethics of oral history to address these omissions and to elevate oral testimonies as vital tools in historical scholarship. This book brings together ten chapters authored by leading academics and researchers. It critically examines how oral history methodologies can be contextualised within South Africa’s diverse and multifaceted society. Rather than focusing on Eurocentric approaches, it emphasises the need to rethink the ethics and practices of oral history from an Afrocentric perspective. Through its transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary lens, spanning history, indigenous knowledge studies, museum and archival studies, and folklore, this book advocates for the recognition of interviewees as knowledge holders, fostering meaningful exchanges rather than mere knowledge extraction. The authors emphasise the need to protect and expand oral history archives, ensuring the representation of marginalised voices and redressing past injustices. This volume, with original research, illuminates the transformative potential of oral history in South Africa, offering new arguments and perspectives. It aims to inspire scholars, researchers, and specialists to rethink conventional practices and to bridge the divide between written and oral histories. This is essential literature for scholars and practitioners in history, oral history, theology, museum studies, and related fields, as it reimagines the role of oral testimonies in producing inclusive and credible historical narratives." (Publisher description)
1 The history of the Oral History Association of South Africa: An autoethnographical perspective (2004–2008) / Christina Landman, 1
2 The history of the Oral History Association of South Africa as autoethnography (2009–2015) / Christina Landman, 17
3 The history of the Oral History Association of South Africa (2016–2022) / Christina Landman, 33
4 Conversational: Critical insights of decolonising oral history methodologies / Stewart L. Kugara, Sekgothe Mokgoatšana, Pfarelo E. Matshidze, 53
5 / Methodological and ethical quandaries in oral historical research in southern Africa: Experiences from Lesotho and South Africa / Munyaradzi Mushonga, Motlatsi Thabane, 67
6 Objectivity and subjectivity: Twin evils in oral history research / Sekgothe Mokgoatšana, Stewart L. Kugara, 85
7 Ethical considerations in the oral history interviewing and publications processes / Radikobo Ntsimane, 99
8 The importance of oral interviews in framing histories of the South African liberation struggle / Chitja Twala, 115
9 Interviewing and authoring for Tell Your Mother’s Story / Kogielam K. Archary, 135
10 Using oral history in advancing feminist discourses and transformation through Charlotte Maxeke / Chitja Twala, John R. Phori, 161
2 The history of the Oral History Association of South Africa as autoethnography (2009–2015) / Christina Landman, 17
3 The history of the Oral History Association of South Africa (2016–2022) / Christina Landman, 33
4 Conversational: Critical insights of decolonising oral history methodologies / Stewart L. Kugara, Sekgothe Mokgoatšana, Pfarelo E. Matshidze, 53
5 / Methodological and ethical quandaries in oral historical research in southern Africa: Experiences from Lesotho and South Africa / Munyaradzi Mushonga, Motlatsi Thabane, 67
6 Objectivity and subjectivity: Twin evils in oral history research / Sekgothe Mokgoatšana, Stewart L. Kugara, 85
7 Ethical considerations in the oral history interviewing and publications processes / Radikobo Ntsimane, 99
8 The importance of oral interviews in framing histories of the South African liberation struggle / Chitja Twala, 115
9 Interviewing and authoring for Tell Your Mother’s Story / Kogielam K. Archary, 135
10 Using oral history in advancing feminist discourses and transformation through Charlotte Maxeke / Chitja Twala, John R. Phori, 161