ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with a scenario of two adult siblings debating versions of a childhood memory. It then introduces first- and second-hand memory, defines short and long-term memory, and defines/discusses, with examples, subcategories of long-term memory especially important to family history such as autobiographical memory centered on events and routines, collective memory, childhood memory, and family memory itself. Because family oral histories can include interviewees who recall stories from childhood to elder years, sometimes with special populations included, one section includes oral history interviewing pointers from a credentialed oral historian working in a hospital palliative care center, a career speech pathologist/professor in home care settings with all ages, an oral historian working with special education youth engaging in oral history to give them voice making history on the spot, and the advice of a vibrant elderly uncle to fact check him which proved him right. The chapter continues with a discussion and example to clarify issues of validity and reliability of family memories. It returns to the sibling scenario with an examination of possible factors at play in disputes over differing memories and steps to resolve them.
