The Verb "To Remember" As a Tool for Narrative Positioning in Oral History Interviews of Members of Parliament

Authors

• Nanny Jolma University of Tampere
• Kari Teräs University of Tampere

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30666/elore.147324

Keywords:

oral history, narrative studies, personal narrative, interview, members of parliament, positioning

Abstract

Despite “I remember” being a typical and repeatedly used phrase in oral history interviews its functions and meanings have not yet been systematically analysed. This article examines the use of the verb muistaa (to remember) in the oral history interviews of former members of the Finnish parliament (1988-2018) by combining the approaches of oral history and narrative studies. The large digital corpus is lemmatised, which makes it possible to locate any mentions of the memory process for closer qualitative analysis. In the interviews conducted by the Library of Parliament, the former MPs were asked to reflect on their personal history and their path to becoming a politician. Thus, they are institutionally and practically guided to deal with memory as well as personal and professional identity. 

The article analyses how the verbalisations of remembering or forgetting function as a narrative tool in the oral history interviews and how the interviewees position themselves using the verb “to remember” in relation to expectations, considering oral history and narrating one´s political career. A key starting point for the analysis is the distinction between levels of story and narrative. Applying the theory of narrative positioning, attention is also given to movement between these levels and the broader identity and norm-related positionings that arise from it. 

The analysis illustrates that in oral history interviews, the functions of the verb “to remember” are not limited to expressing reinterpretation and involvement. Rather, the verbalisations of remembering generate a rich array of overlapping and even contradictory meanings in narrative interaction.