Challenging History: Oral History Work in Cyprus ed. by Hoger Briel (review)

Cyprus has been somewhat of a United Nations success story—that is one reason I decided to review this small volume. Although I know almost nothing about this eastern Mediterranean island nation, the volume cried for attention as it sat neglected at the recent Oral History Association conference. Maybe Cyprus could offer a paradigm for peace in the Middle East? A sign of hope in the last formally divided nation of Europe? At least this collection would be something positive, a new region for oral history work, and maybe an indication that interviewing can bridge nationalistic divides.

Altogether ten essays summarize an assortment of research that a variety of mainly European social scientists have done since 2000. The range of researchers, methodologies, and institutions is this collection's strongest contribution. The editor's introduction gives an overview of oral history methodology, with indications of issues involved and topics covered. I knew I was in the deep end of the pool when I read

there exists a chiastic relationship between the politics of history and personal memory: the politics of history is a source of political legitimization. It is the attempt to justify political goals via "historical" narratives, whereas personal memory engenders personal identity and seeks to harmonize it with social identities. Both of them merge in a social or collective. The role of the personal account is to mediate between individual memories and social realities.

(19)

Theoretical concerns rather than life on Cyprus are prominent in most essays here. As a reader new to this regional topic I would have appreciated an overview of what has happened in recent decades. Most essays do give some historic contexts for the fieldwork being described. One quickly learns a bit about things like the changing nature of the United Nations-managed Green Line separating the Greek and Turkish communities. But a lack of maps and photos make the text best suited for specialists on conflict resolution, Mediterranean area studies, or oral history.

One paper I found particularly fascinating may be of use in a variety of classroom settings. John W. Higgins's "Changing the World, One Story at a Time: Oral Histories and Self- Reflexivity in Cypriot University Classrooms" draws on several trips from his position in media studies at the University of San Francisco to teach communications at Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU). Higgins's sense-making methodology serves as a tool to tease out voices that may be silenced, unheard, marginalized, or oppressed. The author notes, "All humans fit into these categories, at least at some point in time" (107). He provides a list of questions he used to guide classroom interactions. Such open discussion and independent thought have not been common in Cypriot secondary classrooms, Higgins observes. He also describes how his students worked on family oral history projects, which became part of a website he developed to encourage close listening and reflection on what each heard. His goal has been to support the Cypriot bicommunal Association for Historical Dialogue and Research to nurture critical understanding. A lengthy bibliography gives some indications of research to breach the divided communities.

While each essay describes different aspects of the island's cultural conflicts, it is not entirely clear where the diverse projects have archived their recordings. Each paper does have some kind of bibliography, so those wanting details can search for what they need. As a whole the collection might be suitable for an advanced methodology seminar, but it will give few readers much insight into the island's current situation. Altogether the collection demonstrates a multicultural approach to a still-dynamic situation.

The editor and press have created a unique, dense document from a corner of the world that yet may be a success story. Doing oral history in Cyprus has not been easy. A researcher from Germany notes that a project he had been working on

was halted due to a number of difficulties; among them...