Oral History, Hermeneutics, and Embodiment

Oral history can be framed by hermeneutics in order to better understand the field’s theories, methods, and practices within that context. In particular, this essay focuses on two main topics within the “new” hermeneutics: time consciousness and embodied communication; both are foundational for the oral history interview experience itself and for subsequent interpretations of the interview. I argue that these two ideas can be integrated as a single concept so as to enliven our understanding of oral history.