ABSTRACT
Anderson et al. introduce oral history as being ideally suited to the purposes of feminist inquiry. The authors' development of the dialectical nature of female consciousness—for example, the realization that housework is considered work but yet not work—is especially well developed. They emphasize women as experts on their own behavior. Contrast this with traditional theories, which suggest that because of such things as unconscious motives and false consciousness, subjects cannot really know themselves. This chapter also realistically describes dilemmas experienced by the researchers themselves—for example, their need to generalize from particular experiences. Indeed, oral history itself is described as neither a psychological interview nor secondary documentation. Thus the oral historian walks a narrow line between these two. "Beginning Where We Are" is not just about feminist methods; these authors exemplify feminist self-scrutiny and awareness, both in their interdisciplinary collaboration and their sharing of the inside story of their research experiences.
