Transmedia Storytelling: From Interviewing to Multi-Platform

There is nothing new under the sun – so the saying goes, and in a digital age of recording oral histories, this holds true. Despite advances and innovations across the board in information and communication technology in the field of oral history it is essentially only the devices we record on that have changed. However, what has emerged is a plethora of ways that oral history interviews can be used to produce multimedia, or transmedia storytelling outputs- for exhibitions in public institutions, schools and by communities to engage interested groups, and in families and by individuals wanting to play with new ways of telling their family stories and histories. In 2010, QUT’s Creative Industries introduced a postgraduate unit called Transmedia Storytelling: From Interviewing to Multi-Platform, which was the first postgraduate course of its kind in Australia. Based in a Creative Writing discipline, but open to all coursework Masters, PhD, Research Masters and Doctorate of Creative Industries students, this unit introduces students to the theory and practice of semi-structured interviewing techniques, oral history conventions and applications, and the art of storytelling across various platforms.

Amanda Gearing Queensland Flood Collection 2011-2012

A collection of oral history recordings, photographs, hand drawn maps, videos and speech notes relating to the 2011 Queensland floods and the major flood event that occurred in Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley region on 10 January 2011: a flash flood (described as an 'inland tsunami') which devastatingly took 21 human lives. The collection, amassed by Toowoomba-based journalist Amanda Gearing for her Master of Arts degree, includes 86 oral history recordings of flood survivors and rescuers in Spring Bluff, Murphys Creek, Toowoomba, Withcott, Postmans Ridge, Helidon, Carpendale and Grantham as well as digital photographs and videos taken by a number of those interviewed including those taken by Amanda Gearing and other locals. The interviews are very personal and powerful recollections of the experience of the flood event. Some recall feelings of fear and despair and tell of trauma and loss which continues well after the flood event. All are stories of resilience and hope, of rebuilding lives, of lessons learnt, and recommendations in order to avoid the same devastating results in future disasters.

1950s made in Brisbane : Italian tailors and the continental suit

During the 1950s and 1960s, when the French couturiers Dior, Balenciaga, Givenchy and Chanel dominated the fashion industry, the Italian community in Brisbane, Australia, was very active in the local industry through retail, dress-making and tailoring. Australia is geographically at the margins of the developed countries and has been dependent on European trends and taste. In the 1950s, communication was based on magazines and especially newsreels and film; each ethnic group dressed as they liked and according to their custom. Moreover, ‘Made in Italy’ was not yet the prestigious concept that revolutionized ready-to-wear design from the 1970s. However, Italian tailors and demi-couturiers brought to Brisbane their trans-national sense of elegance (the Italian style) and the taste in fashion that influenced new generations in England and elsewhere in Europe from the 1950s. They brought quality and workmanship, offering excellence through the use of quality fabrics from prestigious English and Italian brands. These tailors and dress-makers also contributed towards the local industry through passing on the skills that they brought from Italy. This article is based on a project that seeks to understand the connection between fashion, history and place. The area under examination is the Valley, short for Fortitude Valley, an area adjacent to the Brisbane CBD. Fundamental to this connection between place and fashion was the presence of many Italian migrants in the area. Through archival research and oral history, the aim of this ethnographic project is to bring to the fore an untold story about the economic and aesthetic contribution of Italian migrants to Queensland. Central to the understanding of this aesthetic change is the Italian suit. This research is innovative in that it opens a new area of study in Australian fashion history, connected to the history of migrants and their identity.

Making stories matter: Using participatory new media storytelling and evaluation to serve marginalised and regional communities

In this chapter, we draw on our experiences facilitating community storytelling workshops in regional Queensland in partnership with the Queensland branch of Oral History Association of Australia (OHAA Qld) in order to develop a best practice model for promoting creative approaches to recording oral narratives using digital tools, informed by creative writing practice and embedded evaluation (Klaebe 2012 & 2013). These experiences offer an insight into how creative approaches to training can facilitate the sharing and preservation of stories in regional communities.

Kissing fish: Rex Hunt, popular culture, sustainability and fishing practices

Natural resource managers and scientists focus on the behaviour of individual recreational fishers to understand environmental problems associated with this leisure activity. They do this in an effort to identify ways to change attitudes in order to facilitate environmentally friendly choices. This applied use of ABC psychology (attitude, behaviour, choice) has not delivered the expected results. This article offers a different approach by investigating an emergent practice in diverse fishing communities, rather than looking to the responsibility of the individual recreational fisher. Using practice theory, I trace the change from take-all to catch-and-release fishing in Australia by analysing the texts of celebrity fisher Rex Hunt, who is an advocate for releasing fish. I combine this with oral history testimony from a sample of recreational fishers from the broader Australian community to show how change happened. The practice of catch-and-release fishing emerged through the combination of sociotechnical and historically specific elements present in popular culture, including the media. Paying attention to the way different elements catalyse provides a rich account of the changing modes of sustainability in recreational fishing communities.

'Somalia lives with me' : Homeland and Religion in the Lives of Finnish Somalis

The purpose of this thesis is to examine Somalis who live in Finland through their memories. These memories are interpreted as subjective experiences emphasizing the significance of the past and religion in these memories. On the other hand, these memories are understood as a part of collective social memory of Somalis. This study also constructs a comparative perspective for practising Islam in Somalia and Finland. The methodological framework is based on theories of social memory, oral history and narrative analysis. The empirical data is collected by interviewing Somalis living in Finland. The interviews were conducted by using the method of half-structured thematic interview. The data consists of seven interviews. The interviewees are in the focus of this study since their experiences are considered as the main sources of information for this study. The empirical data of the study reveals that Somalis have maintained strong relations to Somalia. The relationship to Somalia is mainly constructed on positive memories. Memories from Somalia have acquired a significant role in the lives of the interviewees. Those memories will define their relation to both past and the present. In the context of religious memories, Islam is described as a way of living which provides advice and defines the terms of everyday life. As a part of those religious memories, the transmitting of Islamic and Somali values plays a significant role in the lives of Somalis in Finland. In such transmitting process of the values, the social religious memory has acquired a significant role. In the context of Islam in Finland, the religious education of children is mentioned as one of the most important features of the Islamic faith by the interviewees. In general, the practice of Islam does not create any major problems for the interviewees in Finland. The interviewees describe their practice of Islam quite similar when compared to their religious life in Somalia. The empirical data also points out the fact that the meaning of Islam has not changed after moving to Finland. Keywords: Somalis, Somalia, Islam, oral history, narrative research

Herrana metsässä : Kansatieteellinen tutkimus metsänhoitajuudesta

The aim of the research is to interpret the professional culture of Finnish university-educated foresters in historical perspective. The main material of this research consists of biographical interviews, altogether 226 life stories of Finnish foresters, as well as foresters private photograph collections and articles in forest students' magazines. This study is the first published Ph. D. dissertation of a large oral history project "Forestry Professions in a Changing Society" 1999 2002 collected by The Finnish Forest History Society, the University of Helsinki (Ethnology) and The Finnish Forest Museum Lusto. The forester education was organized in the Evo Forest Institute 1862 1908, at the University of Helsinki since 1908 and additionally at the University of Joensuu since 1982. At first all the vacancies were in the service of the Board of Forestry, but during the 20th century the working opportunities of foresters significantly expanded, even outside the traditional areas of forestry or abroad. At the same time the whole area of Finnish forestry had integrated more versatile values concerning the forests and their use. The male-dominated profession gained its first female members already in the 1920s, and the number of female students rose gradually from the 1970s onwards. In the 1990s almost half of the new forest students were women. The content of both work and education of Finnish forest professionals has faced huge changes during the 19th and 20th centuries. Despite this however, there has been a long-term vision of a firm profession based on joint experiences, shared memories and the common task of foresters in the Finnish forestry. The feeling of togetherness the forester spirit which was created in a tight-knit student group which kept in touch also later as professionals was needed to make the work possible. Through foresters' own attitudes and narratives of themselves, the study is focused on forest professionalism as a cultural process of successive generations of foresters. How have foresters socialized themselves into their profession? How has forest professionalism been maintained? What is the meaning of joint experiences and shared memories in the profession? By studying the manifestations of a culture it is possible to interpret the culture itself. There seems to be an astounding consensus of opinion concerning forest professionalism in the oral, visual and written stories of foresters. Even if all the individuals and some separate groups, such as female foresters and the younger generation of foresters, did not always share the same experiences, the vision of forest professionalism was collectively recognized and often even approved. The shared idea of "a real forest professionalism" is like a model narrative, a point of comparison, which is needed while looking for one s own professional identity.

Linnunkiikut ja kallen kaulukset : Kotitekoiset kuukautissiteet 1900-luvun alkupuolen Suomessa

The aim of this thesis was to study what kind of home-made menstrual pads were used in the early 20th century in Finland, how the home-made pads were made and which techniques and materials were used. The use and taking care of menstrual pads were also explored. The history of menstrual pads has been studied in Sweden, Germany and United States but none of those studies has concentrated on home-made pads. Instead, there are many studies about womanhood and menstruation. In many studies home-made menstrual pads are only briefly mentioned. Menstrual pads were not commonly used in Finland at the beginning of the 20th century, but already in the 1940s the use of menstrual pads had become common in every stratum of society. Home-made menstrual pads were used even until the 1960s. In Finland, factory-made disposable menstrual pads became common only in the 1930s and they were only slowly accepted. The study material consisted of nine interviews, three archival inquiries, health care guidebooks from 1893 to 1943 and authentic menstrual pads, menstrual belts and other objects related to them. The interviewed women were born between 1915 and 1939. The narrative approach was used in the study and it also guided the analysis. The interview and archival data were studied according to the basic rules of oral history studies. Literature consisted of publications from several disciplines. The extensive primary material played the most important role in this study. The reconstructions of the menstrual pads were made according to the interviewed women s advice. In Finland there were innumerable variations of home-made menstrual pads. The pads were most commonly crocheted and knitted either by hand or by knitting machine. Pads were also sewn of cloth, old bed linen or old underwear. The menstrual pads were self-made or made by a female relative. Word of mouth was important in spreading information on how to make pads, because there were hardly any instructions available. The biggest pads were 54 cm long and 13 cm wide. The most widely used pad model was a rectangle, which had triangle-shaped ends with a buttonhole or a loop. The pad was attached to the menstrual belt or to the buttons of the suspender belt. Knitted and crocheted pads had one, two or three layers. In sewn pads, there could be even more layers. Cellulose wadding or pieces of cloth could be placed inside the pad to increase the absorption ability. The experiences of the comfort of self-made pads varied. The crocheted and sewn pads were found chafing, knitted ones were found soft and comfortable. The menstrual pads were laborious to wash and boil in lye water. Therefore disposable pads made everyday life easier. The home-made menstrual pads were part of a unique tradition of handicrafts and folk culture. Hand-made pads were one of the most common handicraft products and were a part of every woman s life. Even so, the menstrual pads were unnoticeable. The large number of variations was probably caused by the silence around menstrual topics and by the lack of instructions for making pads. Variations are also explained by the uniqueness of every handicraft product. In Finland the home-made pads were used until relatively recent times. This was caused by the conditions of wartime and the following years and the rarity of commercial pads. Furthermore, until the late 20th century Finland was an agricultural society where all innovations spread slowly. Home-made menstrual pad was a secret handicraft of women and every woman needed to know how to make it by herself.

Where the action isn't, that's where it is

Contribution to ARI Remix. ARI remix is a three-year digital humanities, artist interviews and oral history project collecting and presenting memories of Australian Artist-run culture in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory between 1980 and 2000. Its focus is fleshing out and illuminating the ephemeral and neglected histories of the many lively and socially engaged artistic scenes along the east coast of Australia during the last two decades of the 20th century.

[Interview].

Transcript of an oral history interview with Susanne Harris Flodstrom, née Neuwalder, conducted by Deborah Dwork in New Haven, CT in nine sessions 1993-1994.

Vallankumous kotona! : Arkielämän visuaalinen murros 1960-luvun lopussa ja 1970-luvun alussa

Revolution at home! Visual Changes in Everyday Life in Finland in the Late 1960s and Early 1970s The purpose of my research was to investigate the visual changes in private homes in Finland during the 1960s and 1970s. The 1960s is often described as a turning point in Finnish life, a time when the society's previous agricultural orientation began to give way first to an industrial orientation and then, by the end of the 1970s, to a service orientation. My title refers to three elements in the transition period: the question of daily life; the timeframe; and the visual changes observable in private homes, which in retrospect signalled a kind of revolution in the social orientation. Those changes appeared not only in colours and designs but also in the forms and materials of household objects. My premise is that analysing interiors from a historical perspective can reveal valuable information about Finnish society and social attitudes, information that might easily escape attention otherwise. I have used the time-honoured method of collecting narratives. As far back as Aristotle, formulating narratives has been a means of gaining knowledge. By collecting and classifying narratives about the 1960s and 1970s, it is possible to gain new insight into these important decades. The archetypal 1960s narrative, involving student demonstrations and young people's efforts to improve society, is well known. Less well known is the narrative that relates the changes going on in daily life. Substantially the study focuses mainly on fabrics, porcelain ware and the use of plastics. Marimekko's style is especially important when following innovations in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Porcelain production at the Arabia factory was another element that had a great influence on the look of Finnish homes and kitchens; and a further widespread phenomenon of the late 1960s and early 1970s was the use of plastics in many different forms. Further evidence was sought in Anttila department store mail catalogues, which displayed products that were marketed on a large scale, as well as in magazines such as Avotakka. The terminal point of the visual evolution is the real homes, as seen in the questionnaire "Homemade". I have used the 800 pages of the oral history text that respondents of the Finnish Literature Society have written about their first home in the 1960s. I also used archival material on actual homes in Helsinki from the archives of the Helsinki City Museum. The basic story is the elite narrative, which was produced by students in the 1960s. My main narrative from the same time is visual change in everyday life in the late 1960s and early 1970s. I have classified the main narrative of visual change into four subcategories: the narrative of national ideas, the narrative of a better standard of living, the narrative of objects in the culture of everyday life and the narrative of changing colour and form.

Peeking through the Iron Curtain: Memories of Watching Finnish Television in Estonia during Soviet Occupation

The present study analyses the memories of watching Finnish television in Estonia during the last decades of the Soviet occupation from the late 1960s until the beginning of 1990s. The study stems from a culturalist approach, perceiving television as a relevant aspect in the audiences’ everyday lives. It explores the significance of Finnish television on the society of occupied Estonia from the point of view of its historical audiences. The literature review concentrates on concepts such as the power of television, transnational media, historical audience reception and memory as an object of research. It also explains the concept of spillover, which refers to the unintentional bilateral flow of television signals from one country to another. Despite the numerous efforts of the Soviet authorities to prevent the viewing of the "bourgeois television", there still remained a small gap in the Iron Curtain. The study describes the phenomenon of watching Finnish television in Estonia. It provides understanding about the significance of watching Finnish television in Soviet Estonia through the experiences of its former audience. In addition, it explores what do people remember about watching Finnish television, and why. The empirical data was acquired from peoples’ personal memories through the analysis of private interviews and written responses during the period from February 2010 to February 2011. A total of 85 responses (5 interviews and 83 written responses) were analysed. The research employed the methods of oral history and memory studies. The main theoretical sources of the study include the works of Mati Graf and Heikki Roiko-Jokela, Hagi Šein, Sonia Livingstone, Janet Staiger and Emily Keightley. The study concludes that besides fulfilling the role of an entertainer and an informer, Finnish television enabled its Estonian audiences to gain entry into the imaginary world. Access to this imaginary world was so important, that the viewers engaged in illegal activities and gained special skills, whereby a phenomenon of "television tourism" developed. Most of the memories about Finnish television are vivid and similar. The latter indicates both the reliability and the collectiveness of such memories, which in return give shape to collective identities. Thus, for the Estonian viewers, the experience of watching Finnish television during the Soviet occupation has became part of their identity.

A luta das enfermeiras por um espaço na FAB: a turma pioneira de oficiais (1981-1984)

Este estudo, de cunho histórico-social, tem como objeto a inserção de enfermeiras como oficiais da Força Aérea Brasileira (FAB) por meio do pioneiro Quadro Feminino de Oficiais (QFO). O marco inicial do estudo refere-se ao início do Estágio de Adaptação militar, em 02 de agosto de 1982 no Centro de Instrução Especializada da Aeronáutica (CIEAR), localizado na cidade do Rio de Janeiro. O marco final do estudo diz respeito ao término do período inicial obrigatório de dois anos de cumprimento de serviço ativo dessas enfermeiras, que culminou com a promoção das mesmas ao posto de 1Tenente (1984). Os objetivos do estudo são: descrever as circunstâncias de inserção das enfermeiras no processo seletivo do QFO, analisar o processo de incorporação do habitus militar durante o Estágio de Adaptação, e discutir as estratégias de luta das enfermeiras militares para ocuparem seus lugares devidos nos hospitais da FAB. A técnica de coleta de dados utilizada foi a entrevista e ocorreu no período de abril a maio de 2009 em hospitais da FAB da cidade do Rio de Janeiro. Foram entrevistadas cinco enfermeiras militares da primeira turma do QFO. O estudo foi cadastrado no SISNEP e aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética da FAB. Todos os sujeitos assinaram o Termo de consentimento livre e esclarecido e o Termo de doação de depoimento oral. O método utilizado foi o da História oral temática o referencial teórico do estudo foi baseado no pensamento do sociólogo francês Pierre Bourdieu, cujos conceitos de poder simbólico, habitus, campo, espaço social e violência simbólica sustentaram a construção desta dissertação. Para a análise e interpretação dos dados, seguimos os passos propostos por Maria Cecília Minayo de ordenação de dados, que compreendeu a transcrição na íntegra dos depoimentos; classificação cronológica e temática dos documentos escritos; classificação dos dados e a análise final. Evidenciou-se que diversos motivos incentivaram as enfermeiras a almejarem sua inserção na FAB como a boa remuneração, estabilidade financeira, progressão profissional, desbravamento de um novo campo de trabalho, clientela diferenciada, aposentadoria com salário integral e pioneirismo na FAB. O objetivo do Estágio de Adaptação militar foi inculcar do habitus militar nas candidatas a partir de ensinamentos baseados na hierarquia, disciplina, ética, dever e compromisso militar. Ao se inserirem nos hospitais da FAB, as enfermeiras receberam diversos cargos e funções, galgando um poder simbólico sobre a equipe de enfermagem. As inevitáveis lutas simbólicas dessas enfermeiras ocorreram com os médicos militares, com a equipe de enfermagem, com as enfermeiras civis e com a própria administração do hospital, e revelaram aspectos característicos de violência simbólica desencadeada por lutas de gênero e pela manutenção do poder, visto que as enfermeiras, dotadas de status de chefe e de militar, se inseriram num campo eminentemente masculino.

A enfermeira obstétrica frente às transformações de sua prática consequente ao movimento de humanização do campo obstétrico hospitalar

Este estudo de perspectiva histórico-social estuda as transformações das práticas das enfermeiras obstétricas consequente ao movimento de humanização do campo obstétrico hospitalar. Tem por objetivos: identificar o capital global das enfermeiras obstétricas; analisar as concepções das enfermeiras sobre a prática profissional no campo obstétrico hospitalar no contexto do movimento de humanização; discutir as transformações percebidas pelas enfermeiras obstétricas sobre sua prática. Utilizei como método a história oral. Os sujeitos foram 25 enfermeiras que vivenciaram no campo obstétrico hospitalar, antes e após a implementação do movimento de humanização. Os cenários foram seis maternidades municipais do Rio de Janeiro. A técnica de coleta de dados foi a entrevista semiestruturada. À luz da perspectiva histórica realizarei a análise dos dados, tendo como base os pressupostos de Pierre Bourdieu. A conjuntura obstétrica do nascimento das entrevistadas era a de transição do parto domiciliar para o ambiente hospitalar. O cenário do parto e nascimento de muitas delas foi uma instituição pública de saúde ou conveniada. As agentes são oriundas de famílias humildes, com pouco capital econômico e cultural. Ressalta-se que as condições de acumulação de capital destas enfermeiras, à época, foram proporcionais às oportunidades que tiveram no campo social em que se encontravam e do processo de socialização. Algumas, após o curso de graduação em enfermagem, buscaram a especialização para adquirir um certificado, que lhes aumentasse o volume de capital e as legitimasse para a realização da assistência ao parto normal. O contexto político onde muitas adquiriram o título de especialista era o de implementação do modelo humanizado no campo obstétrico do município do Rio de Janeiro, favorável para a redução de práticas intervencionistas à parturiente com o incentivo ao parto normal focado na autonomia e no empoderamento feminino. Desse modo, as enfermeiras perceberam que as lutas dos agentes no campo obstétrico para a implantação de um novo modo de agir na obstetrícia foram importantes no processo de mudança de suas práticas. Especificamente sobre as transformações de sua práticas elas evidenciaram que, com esse movimento social e político elas passaram a ver e a assistir a mulher, de forma mais próxima, mais humanizada através da aquisição de capital cultural eficiente, outra evidência destacada foi quanto à questão das lutas, houve o reconhecimento de que as lutas foram importantes no processo de mudança, pois com estas foi possível adquirir lucros simbólicos significativos que permitiram gerar mudanças de posição e de práticas obstétricas no campo hospitalar.

A influência do habitus da enfermeira nas representações das mulheres acerca do parto: o surgimento de uma nova demanda social para o campo obstétrico

O presente estudo tem como objeto as representações mentais de mulheres produzidas pelas enfermeiras obstétricas na assistência ao parto. Os objetivos foram: Discutir as representações mentais das mulheres assistidas pelas enfermeiras sobre o parto e a prática obstétrica; Discutir o habitus da enfermeira obstétrica percebido pela mulher e Analisar as relações de poder simbólico entre os agentes envolvidos no processo de parturição. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa que utilizou a história oral temática e o teste de associação de palavras como técnicas de coleta de dados. Para a análise do material, utilizamos o método da análise de conteúdo de Bardin. A fim de dar sustentação teórica ao estudo, adotamos os conceitos de: campo, capitais, habitus, poder simbólico, trocas linguísticas, identidade e representações mentais, desenvolvidos por Pierre Bourdieu. Os resultados encontrados foram agrupados em duas categorias: As representações mentais das mulheres sobre o parto e a prática obstétrica: as percepções construídas e desconstruídas com o processo de parturição e O habitus da enfermeira obstétrica percebido pelas mulheres durante o processo de parturição: o poder simbólico destas agentes na construção de uma nova demanda social para o campo obstétrico. A primeira categoria apresentou as representações construídas pela socialização e as transformações das representações mentais das mulheres consequente à interação com a enfermeira no campo obstétrico. Neste sentido, as percepções das mulheres sobre o parto e a prática obstétrica confirmaram a forte influência do modelo tecnocrático nos depoimentos. Além disso, a prática humanizada da enfermeira contribuiu para a construção de uma nova visão de mundo nas mulheres pesquisadas que provocou um confronto entre suas representações mentais. A segunda categoria desvelou a identidade da enfermeira obstétrica percebida pelas mulheres através dos atributos profissionais e dos sinais distintivos que resultaram na associação de estereótipos a estas agentes. Ainda revelou que a manifestação do poder simbólico da enfermeira obstétrica foi percebido de diversas formas: pelo efeito de mobilização na mulher, em associação com as tecnologias de cuidado e através do fortalecimento da mulher para o parto. Concluímos que no contato com a mulher, a enfermeira exerceu um poder simbólico por estar em melhores posições no campo obstétrico. Tal fato, para as mulheres, resultou em transformações das suas representações mentais em relação ao processo de parturição, o que contribuiu para a construção de uma nova demanda para o campo obstétrico. Por outro lado, a enfermeira obstétrica, ao ser reconhecida pelas usuárias estudadas, fortaleceu a posição de sua prática no campo.