Words,songs and books. Oral history in Italy. A review and discussion

Abstract

This short article aims to do three things. First, tell the ‘history of Italian oral history’ — a history which begins on the Left and in the south, and then slowly moves towards the city and the big questions of conemporary Italian history: Fascism, the Resistance, 1968, gender studies. Second, the article examines some of the most important methodological debates concerning the collection, use and interpretation of oral historical material, and the links which have been made with other disciplines. Third, there is a discussion of the possible didactic uses of oral history in schools and universities. The piece also highlights some of the main ‘schools’ which have emerged within the discipline over the last fifty years and the possible trends for the future of oral history. In addition, the bibliography and notes bring together the most important (and sometimes obscure) works of oral history produced since the war.