Oral History as Teacher: A Case Study in Public Administration

Abstract

This article is a case study of an equal employment opportunity course in which the main project is a personal interview of a minority, female, or disabled worker. The teaching method in this course combines the legal and sociological approaches to the study of the disadvantaged worker. Legal issues are addressed through discussion of public policy and legal precedents in class. Sociological issues are explored through primary, rather than secondary, sources in the oral history interview. In the academic setting, the oral history method is most often associated with history courses. However, as this case study will demonstrate, oral history is applicable and valuable in the study of public administration as well. Oral history provides an unfiltered, first-person view of the working environment and public policy's impact on the individual worker. It is an especially beneficial learning tool for this course because the experiences and viewpoints of disadvantaged persons in society, and the workforce, have historically been ignored and are not likely to be found in a standard textbook. Oral history, an example of active learning, requires students to reach into the community and speak directly to an individual who has been personally affected by the issues discussed in the classroom. Students gain “ownership” of the assignment and their education through the oral history approach.