Individual Narrative and Collective Memory: Sociological Construction of Oral History

Oral history is not only an individual narrative of his own life, but also an effective way for us to understand the collective memory of a community. The process of oral history reflects the initiative of the narrative subject and is filled with many passive factors. Learning and emphasizing the initiative and passivity in the oral history research process, are helpful for researchers to deeply understand the memory, which can be retrievable, triggered and constructed. The triggered nature of memory reminds us that the actual oral history is not only the result of the macro construction of history and society, but also the result of the micro interaction between visitors and respondents. We must pay attention to the research process of oral history carrying the individual memory of community members in order to really have an insight into the collective memory of community members.