The Formal and the Informal in the History of Socialist Scholarly Interconnectedness in East Central Europe.

With the emergence of Olympic internationalism, scholarly networking in East Central Europe came to be dominated by the idea of scholars representing their nations, which replaced the previously leading pattern of private elite scholars with extensive international contacts. This also formalised trans-border contacts, which became increasingly seen as international. In this article, we trace the relationship between these formal and informal networks from the late 19th century to the end of the socialist period, showing that even as formalisation grew, it depended heavily on a variety of informal connections. Even during the period of socialism, when the state sought to control international exchange, scholars used informality to circumvent politically determined constraints. Nevertheless, these informal contacts were not outside the system, but were an integral part of it and depended on formal preconditions. Concentrating on Czechoslovak-Polish relations we argue that in addressing the issue of the relationship between the formal and the informal, a combination of sources must be used, which should then be scrutinised for the stories their authors wish to tell. While archival sources are used for the formal part, oral histories or memoirs reveal the informal part. In East Central Europe, formal sources are likely to ignore informality, especially when it was associated with illegality, whereas ego-documents, especially those produced after 1989, are likely to ignore or downplay connections to the state and overemphasise informality as a means of acting outside politics. Thus, writing the history of informality in socialist scholarship, not only in terms of international contacts but also in terms of everyday practices, is a way of developing counter-narratives to the state-centeredness of current research, which must be linked to a critical study of the contemporary memory of socialist scholarship that shapes the narratives told in oral history.

Oral histories document community mobilisation to participate in decision-making regarding a hazardous waste thermal treatment facility.

Colfax, Louisiana hosts a commercial hazardous waste thermal treatment (TT) facility, which treats fireworks, explosives, and military ordnances by open-burn/open-detonation one mile from the edge of the nearest community. Seventy-one percent of Colfax's residents are Black, and forty-six percent live below poverty, indicating the community's structural vulnerability. This community-based study originated at the behest of Colfax community members. We hypothesized that the close relationships among members of this enclave may have enhanced the community's ability to mobilize in opposition to the TT facility. We conducted semi-structured oral history interviews with nineteen community members and examined the social and interorganizational networks used by the Colfax community to claim its role in decision-making regarding the TT facility after years of exclusion from this process. Interview transcripts were analyzed through the lens of community capacity theory to gain insight into how interactions among community members about the environmental hazards led to social mobilization and improved participation in the decision-making process using codes for communication, organization, and outcome. Additionally, we reviewed Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality records for complaints about the facility to gauge public participation. One notable theme across several interviews was exclusion from the initial decision-making process related to the facility. However, interviewees noted a sustained effort was made among community members to educate themselves about the facility, organize a response through neighbor-to-neighbor contact, and take action by submitting formal complaints and participating in public hearings. Through the lens of environmental justice, this study illustrates an evolving condition of procedural justice.

Promoting Farmer Appreciation in Kentucky through a Farmer Cultural Awareness Project.

OBJECTIVES: To address the perception among farmers of lack of appreciation and being devalued by the non-farming public. METHODS: Oral history interviews were conducted to gather farmers' viewpoints of what the non-farming public needs to know about their occupation. RESULTS: The creation of a public awareness campaign utilizing interview data, including canvas bags, information cards, and a website. CONCLUSION: The public awareness campaign provides the non-farming public with opportunities to learn about the lives of farmers and their contributions to society.

Examining a Novel Legacy Activity for Elders: Oral Histories as Produced Stories.

Background: Many African American elders who participated in The Great Migration are in the latter years of their lives. One way to maintain their memories and those of elders at large is through legacy activities, projects that initiate a life review process resulting in a product surviving after an individual's death. However, literature on culturally attuned legacy activities as well as measurement of impact are limited. Objectives: This project sought to introduce a novel legacy activity for elders-the oral history as produced aural self-story-detailing its creation and examining its therapeutic efficacy. Design Setting and Subjects: Nine African American elders who experienced The Great Migration receiving care from an urban, geriatric clinic were recruited. Oral histories were conducted, produced into aural self-stories, and examined with follow-up interviews and a project evaluation survey. Qualitative analysis of the follow-up interview and a project evaluation survey were used to ascertain therapeutic outcomes. Results: : All participants recommended the project and found self-story listening meaningful or beneficial. Qualitative interviews produced 13 codes; the five most frequent were reflection/contemplation (n = 18), sentimentality/positive affect and affirmation/enlightenment (n = 10), as well as empathy/gratitude and curiosity/intrigue/peculiarity (n = 7). Conclusion: : Our project suggests that aural self-stories produced from oral histories enhance the current elder legacy activity landscape by facilitating meaning and existential affirmation, additionally leaving a product for subsequent generations. Future studies include comparison to existing legacy interventions and project examination in additional elder populations.

Feminist, lesbian, and trans solidarity in the German-Polish collective Girlz Get United.

This article analyzes the various activities, problem frameworks, and identity strategies around which feminist, lesbian, and trans-solidarity in the Polish-German collective Girlz Get United (GGU) were built. Focusing on oral history interviews with Suzi Andreis, a member and co-organizer of the GGU meetings, this study examined the transnational and intersectional collectivity of the group as a form of lesbian solidarity. Following Emma Goldman and bell hooks, it attempted to consider how the collective, active in the early 2000s, constructed solidarity by being together during integration meetings, various workshops, and sports encounters. The article also examines the content appearing in the bilingual "ggu!" bulletins issued by the group during its active period. It exposes the rupture and contradictions between different ways of building lesbian solidarity: on the one hand, as a positive experience of sociability and friendship evoked through oral history interviews and, on the other hand, as an archival political manifesto told through a zine story of trauma and violence.

Quantifying Healthy Aging in Older Veterans Using Computational Audio Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Researchers are increasingly interested in better methods for assessing the pace of aging in older adults, including vocal analysis. The present study sought to determine whether paralinguistic vocal attributes improve estimates of the age and risk of mortality in older adults. METHODS: To measure vocal age, we curated interviews provided by male U.S. World War II Veterans in the Library of Congress collection. We used diarization to identify speakers and measure vocal features and matched recording data to mortality information. Veterans (N = 2 447) were randomly split into testing (n = 1 467) and validation (n = 980) subsets to generate estimations of vocal age and years of life remaining. Results were replicated to examine out-of-sample utility using Korean War Veterans (N = 352). RESULTS: World War II Veterans' average age was 86.08 at the time of recording and 91.28 at the time of death. Overall, 7.4% were prisoners of war, 43.3% were Army Veterans, and 29.3% were drafted. Vocal age estimates (mean absolute error = 3.255) were within 5 years of chronological age, 78.5% of the time. With chronological age held constant, older vocal age estimation was correlated with shorter life expectancy (aHR = 1.10; 95% confidence interval: 1.06-1.15; p < .001), even when adjusting for age at vocal assessment. CONCLUSIONS: Computational analyses reduced estimation error by 71.94% (approximately 8 years) and produced vocal age estimates that were correlated with both age and predicted time until death when age was held constant. Paralinguistic analyses augment other assessments for individuals when oral patient histories are recorded.

Strategies to engage and retain African-American students in BSN programs based on oral history.

BACKGROUND: The nursing profession continues to struggle with attracting African-American applicants into our nursing programs, supporting their retention and their success to graduation. This problem must be rectified if we are to generate adequate numbers of African-American nurses to meet the increasingly diverse and complex needs of our changing demographics. METHOD: An oral history was conducted with the first four African-American nurses to graduate from a Predominantly White Institution between 1960 and 1969 to learn more about how they successfully navigated their educational environment and recommendations they could offer that could be used today to support our African-American students. RESULTS: Participants told us that we need to value and pay attention to students as unique individuals, provide mentoring and skill building support, create group gathering opportunities for African-American students to bond, create and deepen their connection with each other and faculty in order to build trust and community. In addition, the cultural role of religion and spirituality cannot be minimized in this population as it serves to reinforce connection, hope, grounding and a familiar source of support. CONCLUSION: To attract, retain and support academic success of Africa-American students in nursing programs, strategies must target the needs at the individual, group and faculty levels in addition to addressing organizational and structural practices that serve as additional impediments to the success of these nursing students.

Piloting an Oral History Approach to Investigate Cancer Perspectives Among Residents of Appalachian Kentucky.

Introduction: Kentucky ranks first in the U.S. in overall cancer incidence and mortality rates. Areas of the state that fall within the Appalachian Region, along Kentucky's eastern border, experience disproportionately high rates of cancer compared to non-Appalachian counties. Purpose: This pilot study investigates whether oral history interviews can be used to understand perspectives on cancer among residents of Appalachian Kentucky. Methods: In 2020, participants (n = 5) who identified as being from and/or having strong connections to Appalachian Kentucky were recruited to participate in this pilot study. Participants included individuals working in cancer-related fields, oncology professionals, and those with personal cancer experience. Using an oral history approach, subjects were asked about challenges within Appalachia that contribute to high rates of cancer regionally. Interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis, and data were condensed into themes, subthemes, and subtopics. Relational content analysis was then used to illustrate relationships between the problems being faced in Appalachia and their contributing factors, with potential solutions to those problems. Results: Six key themes emerged from analysis of the oral history interviews: (1) problems being faced in Appalachia; (2) contributing factors; (3) potential solutions; (4) Appalachian disposition; (5) experiences with and thoughts on cancer; and (6) defining success v. the future without changes (intervention). A further 25 subthemes were identified from within these themes. Taken together, these themes and subthemes point to potential areas for specific intervention to shift Appalachia's cancer burden. Implications: This pilot study demonstrates potential benefit in using oral history interviews to elucidate Appalachian Kentuckians' perspectives on cancer. From the nuanced insights gained through this method, a set of culturally appropriate interventions were identified that could address the disproportionate cancer burden in the region. Future studies using an oral history approach could aim to reveal other specific aspects of how cancer impacts individuals, families, and communities.

Use of Oral History Methods in Social Work: A Scoping Review.

PURPOSE: Oral history as a method of understanding the lived experience spans multiple disciplines including education, women and gender studies, history, and disability studies. Oral histories can be a vehicle for people on the periphery to tell their stories, a method well suited to pursuits related to social justice and social work. The purpose of this manuscript is to report on a scoping review that was conducted to better understand how oral history methods have been used in social work. MATERIAL AND METHODS: To answer our review question, we use an established scoping review framework. Based on eligibility criteria, 23 manuscripts were identified - all published in peer-reviewed English language journals between 2005 and 2023 and written by social work-credentialed authors. RESULTS: The authors identified three themes that reflect the uses of oral history studies in social work: oral history used as a teaching tool in social work education, oral history used to document the experiences and knowledge of social service trailblazers, and commentaries about using oral history and other biographical methods in social work. DISCUSSION: This review highlights how oral history, as a method, has contributed to social work research and scholarship. CONCLUSION: Recommendations are made as to the usefulness of oral history to address social problems and practice issues important to the field of social work.

Why has farming in Europe changed? A farmers' perspective on the development since the 1960s.

Farming in Europe has been the scene of several important socio-economic and environmental developments and crises throughout the last century. Therefore, an understanding of the historical driving forces of farm change helps identifying potentials for navigating future pathways of agricultural development. However, long-term driving forces have so far been studied, e.g. in anecdotal local case studies or in systematic literature reviews, which often lack context dependency. In this study, we bridged local and continental scales by conducting 123 oral history interviews (OHIs) with elderly farmers across 13 study sites in 10 European countries. We applied a driving forces framework to systematically analyse the OHIs. We find that the most prevalent driving forces were the introduction of new technologies, developments in agricultural markets that pushed farmers for farm size enlargement and technological optimisation, agricultural policies, but also cultural aspects such as cooperation and intergenerational arrangements. However, we find considerable heterogeneity in the specific influence of individual driving forces across the study sites, implying that generic assumptions about the dynamics and impacts of European agricultural change drivers hold limited explanatory power on the local scale. Our results suggest that site-specific factors and their historical development will need to be considered when addressing the future of agriculture in Europe in a scientific or policy context. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10113-023-02150-y.

Shattered childhood: Experiences of polio survivors in Finland 1950s and 1960s.

AIM: To describe the childhood experiences of patients with polio from the acute phase of the disease during post-war Finland in the 1950s and 1960s. DESIGN: Qualitative empirical study based on self-reported history of nursing rooted in the past, a history of experiences. METHODOLOGY: Interview materials were gathered in the form of themes (45) and written interviews (4) (29 September 2018 to 30 June 2019). Data were analysed by reflexive thematic analysis to highlight hidden and latent experiences. This approach generated the study's main theme, themes and subthemes. RESULTS: The main theme, 'shattered childhood', generated from the study results and was then divided into two themes, both of which were influenced in part by the loss of a familiar childhood, the changed environment, the breakdown of the body and the absence of control. Through their childhood memories, polio survivors described their broken childhoods using the following themes: 'betrayal by their bodies' and 'isolation'. In the narratives, the theme 'betrayal by one's own body' was generated by the following subthemes: 'suddenness of the affliction', 'paralysis' and 'being moved to the hospital'. The 'isolation' theme developed from the subthemes 'isolation from the body and surroundings' and 'emotional and social loneliness'. CONCLUSION: Polio survivors' experiences during the acute stage of the disease were traumatic and demonstrated children's inferior nursing position in Finland in the 1950s and 1960s. IMPACT: The study increases our understanding of the history of caring for children and families who were affected and disabled by polio and the importance of their experiences in society and healthcare settings. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: The authors collaborated with the Finnish Polio Association to recruit study participants and plan the study. Patients with polio during childhood underwent interviews, and their experiences formulated the data, which were analysed and the basis of the results. REPORTING METHOD: Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ), a 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups, have been used as a reporting and checklist tool. All authors have agreed on the final version and the use of the COREQ criteria, relationship with participants, theoretical framework, setting, data collection and data analysis and report.

Using personal narrative to promote person-centered values in aging, dementia, and caregiving.

Personal narrative is a powerful way to include people in their care and to understand their values that drive their needs. In this paper, we describe a program designed to teach oral history to clinicians and trainees in the field of aging, dementia and caregiving. The training uses empathic listening, open-ended interviewing, and the discovery of individual values and experience to breakdown stigma and preconceptions of what it means to age with cognitive impairment. Sharing these stories of aging, dementia, and caregiving becomes an important tool to break down stereotypes, promote person-centered care, and advocate for the unheard. The profound impact of the oral history process is felt by the narrator, the interviewer and the listener. Human beings are wired for stories, and oral history taps into that power to connect us and provide better care through better understanding.

"They polluted our cropfields and our rivers, they killed us": Farmers' complaints about mining pollution in the Katangese Copperbelt.

The adverse impacts of mining industries on human health, local biodiversity, and food security are well-documented in the Katangese Copperbelt. However, farmers' perceptions of pollution and their struggles to obtain compensation for the externalities of mining industries are little addressed in scientific and public debates. Drawing on interviews with smallholder farmers, local civil society archives, oral histories, and analysis of satellite images, this article presents a case of farmers of Mulungwishi Valley whose fields and waterways were polluted by mining effluents. While 25% of respondent farmers argued that they had noticed pollution from the beginning of the 2000s, testimonies from civil society, customary authorities, and farmers concurred that the phenomenon has increased since 2010. Particularly between 2013 and 2014, the death of fish in the Mulungwishi River, the coloration of the water, the spread of mining effluents across the valley, and crop failure raised concerns and despair among farmers. Remarkable changes in land cover and use were noticeable. Since a joint impact assessment in 2014 by la Générale des Carrières et des Mines' (Gécamines) experts and farmers, civil society unsuccessfully continued a struggle to obtain compensation for about 2570 farmers affected by pollution. Despite an absolute silence of the polluter, 88% of these farmers insisted on the depollution of the valley and were willing to accept, if it was offered, financial compensation of $US 2820 per farmer. The decade-long persistence of farmers in asserting these requests debunks the view of farmers as passive or not concerned about environmental pollution. This article will be helpful for stakeholders (victims and polluters) to find common ground when resolving this environmental issue that has resulted in socio-economic difficulties beyond the valley.

Memories of nursing in Singapore - an oral history approach.

Background: Documentation of the voices of nurses provided valuable insight and a greater understanding of the nursing experience in Singapore. Aim: To record nurses' experiences of journey of nursing profession in the acute care setting in Singapore from the early days of formalisation of nursing education to today's practice as a profession with various specialisation and career tracks. Method: An oral history research approach was adopted, with purposive and snowball sampling to recruit nurses (both current and retired) who had trained in Singapore from 1956 which marked the beginning of the founding of the School of Nursing to current. Interviews were conducted with an interview guide. Thematic analysis was utilised to analyse the audio-recorded data. Results: The 54 participants with a range of 10-54 years of nursing experience were interviewed and they completed their nursing training between 1952 and 2006. Four themes were generated: essence of nursing, inevitable changes across nursing profession, resilience and future outlook in nursing. Conclusions: Understanding the experiences of these nurses generated an in-depth understanding of the personal, social and historical events that were at play in fostering today's nursing practice. With the evolution of the roles in nursing, compassion in current practice needs to be re-evaluated. Continuous learning is essential to meet the needs of the changing healthcare landscape.

Double-Edged Network Effects on Disclosing Traumatic Experiences Among Korean "Comfort Women".

This study examines the effects of social networks on the disclosure of stigmatizing and traumatic sexual assault experiences. We analyzed publicly archived oral histories of Korean "comfort women" from World War II, employing an innovative method combining word embedding analysis, word frequency comparison, and grounded theory. By extracting their significant social relationships from narrated survivor stories, we parsed two distinctive disclosure patterns according to timing of disclosure: early disclosers and late disclosers. The latter were more socially embedded than the former, indicating the constraining aspect of social networks, in which the size of social networks was positively associated with delayed disclosure. Qualitative findings further elaborated that social networks have double-edged effects. Survivors' familial networks functioned as both social constraints and social support for public disclosure. Yet, the late disclosers tend to exploit it more as constraints for the fear of transgenerational transmission of social scorn and stigma. The findings contribute to enhancing a culturally relevant understanding of trauma and the repercussions of human trafficking.

Queer collective memory during the time of COVID: Timelessness, isolation, and resilience in the United Kingdom.

Oral history collections both rely on and preserve community memories, and are of importance for understanding marginalized communities, particularly when they privilege minority voices. This article draws from original, video-based oral histories conducted for the United Kingdom's national LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, and others) museum, Queer Britain, focusing on an ongoing collection of oral histories organized around experiences related to the COVID pandemic. In order to protect the health of those interviewed and the interviewers, the researchers used virtual meeting software to record video interviews and utilized qualitative software to expand and support interview analysis. Specific oral history methodologies and concepts are explored, and museum studies content is briefly discussed, specifically as it relates to museums of marginalized people. Themes explored include isolation and timelessness, the impact of the pandemic on diverse LGBTQ+ communities, and HIV/AIDS.

Repercussões físicas, emocionais e sociais produzidas pelo HIV/AIDS na vida dos idosos / Physical, emotional and social repercussions caused by HIV/AIDS in the lives of the elderly: thematic oral history perspectives

Introdução: os dados epidemiológicos mostram um aumento da população idosa vivendo com HIV/AIDS no Brasil. Esta doença impacta de diferentes formas a vida da pessoa constituindo um desafio para os serviços de saúde. Objetivo: verificar as alterações físicas, emocionais e sociais produzidas pelo HIV/AIDS na vida de idosos. Metodologia: estudo qualitativo com método história oral temática. Realizado no Serviço de Atendimento Especializado (SAE) em HIV/AIDS de uma cidade do Oeste Catarinense com a inclusão de três idosos, duas mulheres e um homem, com média de idade de 66 anos e diagnóstico do HIV/AIDS há mais de cinco anos. Foram realizados cinco encontros, dois de observação no domicílio e três para realização da entrevista em profundidade com validação de todas as etapas. A análise dos dados foi realizada por meio da análise de conteúdo temática. A pesquisa foi aprovada no comitê de ética. Resultados e discussão: os idosos apresentaram sintomas físicos decorrentes da imunossupressão sendo o principal deles o emagrecimento, que se constituiu como um sinal de alerta para o diagnóstico do HIV/AIDS. As repercussões emocionais foram o medo e a angústia, mais presentes no momento do diagnóstico e início dos tratamentos. As repercussões sociais estiveram atreladas ao isolamento social, saída de grupos e perda do papel no trabalho. Considerações finais: o HIV/AIDS repercute na vida dos idosos e produz diferentes alterações, quer sejam físicas, emocionais e/ou sociais. Nessa direção, incluir essas demandas no planejamento de ações para esse grupo populacional tornará a assistência à saúde mais resolutiva.(AU)

Introduction: epidemiological data show an increase in the elderly population living with HIV/AIDS in Brazil. This disease affects people's lives in different ways and constitutes a challenge for health services. Objective: To verify the physical, emotional, and social repercussions caused by HIV/AIDS in the lives of the elderly. Methodology: a qualitative study which used thematic oral history as a method. The research was carried out at the Specialized Care Service (SAE) on HIV/AIDS in a city in western Santa Catarina, which included three elderly diagnosed with HIV/AIDS for more than five years. Two meet-ings were held for approximation and three moments of in-depth interviews with validation in all stages. Data analysis had performed through thematic content analysis, according to Minayo (2014). Results and discussion: The elderly presented physical symptoms resulting from immunosuppression, the main one being weight loss, which constitutes a warning sign for the diagnosis of HIV/AIDS. The emotional repercussions were the fear and anguish most present at the time of diagnosis and the beginning of treatments. The social repercussions were linked to social isolation, leaving groups, and losing the social role of work, being partially reintroduced. Final considerations: HIV/AIDS affects the lives of the elderly, producing different changes, whether physical, emotional, and social, and health services and an interprofessional team need to ensure a broader view of this whole context to qualify assistance.(AU)

Lesbian Community and Activism in Britain 1940s-1970s: An Interview with Cynthia Reid.

In this article, I provide a micro(oral)history of Cynthia Reid, one of only five women who founded the Minorities Research group-the first known lesbian organization in Britain, in 1963. Such activism paved the way for further lesbian liberatory action and the group did a great deal to combat the isolation experienced by many queer women across the country. They provided social opportunities as well as advice, and made more public calls for greater social acceptance. The group has been central to the interests of 20th-century queer historians, especially as the Minorities Research Group also produced the first lesbian magazine in Britain Arena Three. As a microhistory Cynthia's story informs many threads within queer history, including conceptualizations of masculinities, community, and change; while also challenging dominant notions that families and medical professionals were consistently unsupportive of queer people in the 1940s-1970s. In doing so, this article amplifies Cynthia's story in a way that means not only does it contribute nuance as a micro(oral)history to the broader field of queer scholarship but it also acts as a resource to stimulate further research.