ABSTRACT
For a long time, oral history methodology was accompanied by an almost total neglect of the problems of language, meaning and context – problems which are critical to understanding how interviews work. Until now, standard oral history methodology has not paid much attention to the specific cultural patterning of oral narratives. Etter-Lewis is one of the few oral historians to have noted that oral storytelling can take various forms: 'Although styles may vary as widely as individuals, recurring patterns indicate more than a speaker's personal quirks'. Although historians have recently focused more and more on the transcript in order to expose the broader social and cultural context surrounding the words spoken, this has not led to an adjustment in the practice of transcribing. As Briggs and Mishler have noted, the social situation created by the interview shapes the form and content of what is being said.
