Oral history: objectives for legitimizing this research method in Vietnam

By Vu Thi Thu Thanh
DOI: 10.37550/tdmu.EJS/2022.03.332

Oral history is both a method of gathering information and an important source of historical data in social history and public history. The narratives of individuals are not only exploited to find historical facts or “additional” details to a grand narrative but uncover the meaning of individuals’ stories for a broader social context. That shift has made oral history increasingly an interdisciplinary research method. However, compared with the popularity of oral history in international academic disciplines, the application of this research method restricts in Vietnam. This article presents the possibilities and prospects of oral history through different research topics/fields in history, at the same time, specify the causes of obstacles to the legitimization of oral history in Vietnam.