Life history and life writing research uses life story - whether in the form of oral history, personal narrative, autobiography or biography - as a primary source for the study of history and culture.
If you would like to join the Centre for Life History and Life Writing Research email list and receive regular updates about events, conferences and publication opportunities in the field of life history, life writing and oral history, please email: M.Jolly@sussex.ac.uk
New updates:
- Working with narrative, memory and life history: postgraduate/graduate mini-conference
- Hospital memories brought back to life
- Mass Observation anniversary conference: call for papers
- The University of Sussex Oral History project and the story of the Meeting House
- Sisterhood and After: The Women's Liberation Oral History Project
- The Hidden Histories of Communities
- Places for All: A Multi-Media Investigation into an English City
Life history and life writing research uses life story - whether in the form of oral history, personal narrative, autobiography or biography - as a primary source for the study of history and culture. Life stories capture the relation between the individual and society, the local and the national, the past and present and the public and private experience. Research involves grappling with theories of memory, relationship and self representation, and with debates about literacy and orality. Many disciplines contribute to the field, including history, sociology, anthropology, literary philosophy, cultural studies and psychology. Life history and life writing researchers present their work in many forms. As well as academic publications, we contribute to radio and television documentaries, auto/biographical drama, reminiscence work, digital and video presentations and exhibitions. Life history and life writing research is, of necessity, concerned with ethics and power relationships, and with the potential for advocacy and empowerment.
