Experts Answer to Oral History Questions

100 Questions/23

Does oral history strengthen the culture of dialogue in society?

Translated by Mandana Karimi

2026-4-2

We asked several researchers and activists in the field of oral history to express their views on oral history questions. The names of each participant are listed at the beginning of their answers, and the text of all answers will be published on this portal by the end of the week. The goal of this project is to open new doors to an issue and promote scientific discussions in the field of oral history.

In this project, a question is asked every Saturday, and we ask experts to present their views in the form of a short text (about 100 words) by the end of the week. All answers will be published together so that the audience can compare and analyze the views.

The content is the opinions of the senders and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Oral History website. Although the answers are supposed to be based on about 100 words, in order to be polite and not to leave the discussion incomplete, in some cases, answers longer than that are also accepted.

The experts are asked to submit their answers by Sunday night so that all answers can be published on Tuesday.

Question 23

Does oral history strengthen the culture of dialogue in society?

Gholamreza Azari Khakestar 

The culture of dialogue is an important topic in social history discussions. There is always an effort to reach aspects of the dark points of history through oral history dialogue. Whether this issue can strengthen the culture of dialogue depends on the conditions of that society. It seems that over the years, despite dialogues with various social classes, a large portion of the people still do not engage in dialogue and have chosen silence in response to the questions of oral historians. 

In any case, the small share of people in oral history projects is statistically significant. Interviewers never have enough time to involve a wide range of communities in history. Therefore, depending on oral history projects, they approach elites and those who are willing to engage in dialogue; this cannot be generalized to achieve a broadly strengthened culture of dialogue. However, the philosophy of oral history, which is designed and explained based on active dialogues, can strengthen historical discourses within a limited statistical community. 

Hamid Ghazvini 

Yes, oral history strengthens the culture of dialogue. Because the interviewer and the interviewee become ready to listen to each other’s words and each recognizes the other, meaning both have accepted that the other has something to say that is worth hearing and reflecting upon. Moreover, oral history is the product of the connection and interaction of two aware and free individuals who express their concerns and possessions on a common subject. In this way, oral history helps to put dialogue, even through question and answer, on the agenda at certain levels of society and spread to other sectors as well. 

Mohammad Mahdi Abdollahzadeh 

Oral history is dialogue-centered, and its uniqueness compared to other historical research methods is that it establishes communication with living people within a network of emotional and social relationships. 

An interviewer who starts the interview with the necessary studies and a specific plan and establishes the required emotional connection with the interviewee will receive desirable answers. 

In this process, if the interviewer correctly leads the interaction using effective communication techniques, a pleasant, respectful, and friendly atmosphere is created, which will be instructive for both parties. This is how an "informal" education is formed, which is not defined in the interview’s objectives. The interviewer’s personality, as a mentor revealed in their behavior, is an important educational factor, and the main problem is that the mentor must possess the necessary qualifications themselves.

Abolfazl Hassanabadi 

The basis of oral history is founded on bilateral dialogue and active participation. This participation occurs on two separate levels. In the first step, individual interviews enable the presence of the narrator as an actor in the subject under interview within the community, and in the second step, by sharing the personal experiences of the narrator in the community, while familiarizing people with perspectives and thoughts, it provides a suitable platform for dialogue about it and ultimately creates the ground for the intellectual advancement of society.

Abolfat’h Mo’men 

Oral history is essentially a purposeful and methodical conversation between the memory holder and the interviewer, which seeks to extract coherent historical narratives of events and social, political, and cultural developments and convert them into research data. Therefore, its formation and expansion have led to the strengthening of the culture of dialogue. This process initially began among elites, but considering various social classes, diverse narratives were collected and the scope of dialogue broadened. Also, publishing the results of interviews in the form of books has provided a basis for critique and opinion. Even individuals who were not present at the events become indirectly involved in these conversations and engage in the exchange of experience and information; as a result, oral history has contributed to the expansion of the culture of dialogue in society.

Hassan Beheshtipour 

It’s not the main task of oral history to strengthen the culture of dialogue, but oral history can pave the way for dialogue formation among different social classes; because oral history itself enables dialogue between unofficial narrators and governmental narrators. 

In fact, oral history is not just the collection of memories; it is a social practice that teaches us how to talk with each other, how to respect each other's differences, and how to see diverse narratives side by side. This type of historiography can be a bridge between different generations and diverse social classes in society. 

The four fundamental pillars encouraging questioning, validating unique experiences, creating empathy, and strengthening the skill of listening to others' words are the foundations of this strengthening of dialogue in society.

Shafigheh Niknafas 

Strengthening the culture of dialogue can be one of the secondary goals of oral history. Rapid social changes and shifts in family culture have caused a gap between generations. There are examples of projects that pursue communicative goals through dialogue. For instance, implementing an oral history project to establish intergenerational communication in immigrant communities, carried out at elementary and secondary educational levels, leads to the new generation becoming familiar with linguistic culture, ethnic culture, and family traditions. In other words, the culture of dialogue through social and family oral history projects can strengthen interaction, mutual understanding, and the transfer of experience from the previous generation to today's generation.

Seyed Mohammad Sadegh Feyz 

This depends on its prevalence and extent. Such an approach requires widespread acceptance, while currently this platform has expanded in academic and research centers and is still entangled in discussions that are not closely related to the pressing issues of society. 

Cultural development, especially the culture of dialogue, requires creating many foundations and removing many obstacles, and of course, its subject matter is also important. The existence of strong barriers against individuals and ideas in society cannot be resolved by oral history.

AI

Oral history can effectively strengthen the culture of dialogue in society because it is based on active listening, respect for lived experiences, and the exchange of narratives. In this approach, the interviewer and the narrator enter into an interactive dialogue process that requires patience, accuracy, and avoidance of hasty judgment. Promoting such models at the social level leads to improved communication skills and increased tolerance of different viewpoints. However, achieving this function depends on proper education, adherence to professional principles, and institutionalizing the value of dialogue in cultural and educational contexts.