Oldal 104 [104]
Part III. Digital Media and Storytelling in Research ] 103
vote, or even re-direct the play or re-enact certain episodes at turning points
in the plot. Ihe spectator becomes an insider and an active participant,
developing action plans to help solve dilemmas (Boal, 1985). Although
the framework of the play is predetermined by the dramaturge and the
director, the narrative of the performances always evolves according to the
intervention of the audience (Oblath, 2017). Ihe researchers obtain data
from video recordings of the performance and may conduct a focus group
or individual interviews with the participating audience members after the
performance, who may be asked about internal processes taking place during
the play (Lanszki, 2020).
CHAPTER 4.
ORAL HISTORY AND DIGITAL STORYTELLING IN SERVICE OF
COLLECTIVE SOCIAL MEMORY
Oral History is a form of personal history relayed orally, a specific form of
historical documentation with a tradition dating back to 1948 when interviews
with important historical figures in American history were recorded using
technology. Oral history differs from the intergenerational oral transmission
of cultural traditions, as oral history is a purposeful methodology rather than
a spontaneous act of knowledge transfer (Leavy, 2011).
As a research method, oral history has sampling procedures and specific
tools for analysis. Researchers interview members of a specific population
in order to gain a multi-directional understanding of a particular cultural¬
historical topic. In order to select the sample group, the researcher must first
assess the literature and sources on the broader topic to identify gaps that
need to be further explored in order to aid in the selection of the interviewees.
Random sampling, which ensures reliability in quantitative research, is
therefore excluded in oral history research. Snowball sampling is used rather
than probability sampling to find oral history interviewees - especially in the
case of particularly sensitive topics or vulnerable populations (Leavy, 2011).
The aim ofall oral history research is to gain deeper insight into the interviewees
personal experiences, opinions, and perspectives, a goal which significantly
determines the characteristics of the interview. An oral history interview is always
an autobiographic narrative interview and consists of open-ended questions.
Sometimes, several interviews are conducted with the same person in order to
gather as many details as possible. The virtue of autobiographical narratives is
that the narrators not only list events in a factual way, but also reveal the social
context and individual circumstances, the relationships between the actors, the
motives behind the behavior and the consequences of the actions. The researcher
does not interrupt the interviewee while he or she is speaking, allowing them
to narrate and interpret the life events freely.