The Radicalism of Oral History: Teaching and Reflecting on War, Empire, and Capitalism

This collaboratively written article explores the power of oral history for teaching about war, capitalism, and empire. Philip Napoli has interviewed for former students about their experiences conducting oral histories with US military personnel. The authors find that while oral history can produce outcomes for students that are associated with both the status quo and progressive thinking, in all cases methodology has the potential to help students re-think their role in the world.