Please tell us about your life. [Tell me more about --- ; How would you describe the different eras you.ve lived through; Have you kept any letters you would like to show us/talk about?; Have you kept any photographs you would like to show us/talk about? Would you like to tell us about your parents?
The Project Themes
The initial project design called for a number of themes to be the foci of the oral history interviews. The Cambridge team, in conjunction with the interviewers, developed a total of 10 main, or 'A', themes, and eleven minor, or 'B', themes. The original intention was to focus roughly 10 percent of the total interviews on each of the 10 A themes, with hopefully one or two B themes included in interview. In final analysis, we ended up with a more free-form interviewing approach, but did also commission a certain number of interviews on each theme. The themes, with a few additions, were also used for the keywording the interviews.
For each theme, rather than supply questions we (the Cambridge team) wanted asked, we tried to provide general questions, questions to indicate what paths of inquiry we as anthropologists would be most interested in. In the end, however, we left it to the interviewers themselves to determine, in conjunction with the people interviewed, the best approach to each individual theme and interview. We did not want simply to have a series of questions that the team would read off of a list. Rather, the questions were suggested as an idea of how we might approach a question, and to spur their own ideas and approaches.
Clicking on the theme name will open a popup window with the questions we offered as guides.
A themes
B themes
Did your family, friends or relatives experience repression? How did people think about those who were accused or arrested? What were the government views on this? Did official media discuss the cases or were they handled secretly? What about the public trials . how did people feel about them? Was there any rehabilitation?
What was this like? What effect did they have on life? How were the campaigns justified? What were people expected to do? What things were covered? What happened if you didn.t pass the inspection?
How have beliefs and religious practices changed in your experience? How has the state / government affected this?
How was it announced? How was it actually carried out in their specific location. What effect did it have on daily lives? Did some people benefit more than others? Do you think it had different results for men and women?
What was the actual process of collectivization? (What was the process at a personal level?) What were people.s reactions to it? What actually happened? Did people try to hide the livestock? What was the official media about the process? Did special teams come from elsewhere to talk about it?
How has life for women changed in your experience? How has life for men changed in your experience? How has state policy regarding women changed, if it has, and how has this affected your family?
How have attitudes towards work changed in your experience? How has the process of getting a job changed in your experience? Has the importance of work in people.s lives changed?
How have attitudes towards work changed in your experience? How has the process of getting a job changed in your experience? Has the importance of work in people.s lives changed?
When you were a child, what were the different ways in which you learned? What was your experience at school like? What did you learn both in school and out of school? How has the role of the state in education / cultural sphere changed in your experience? What role did cultural events (movies, theatre, etc.) play in your life? Have you studied abroad, and if so, can you talk about this?
What was the actual process of industrialization? (What was the process at a personal level?) What were peoples reactions to it? What actually happened? What was the official media about the process? What was your life like afterwards?
How have the lives of children and their relations with their parents changed in the course of your lifetime (in your experience)? How did people feel about sending young children (away) to school? Tell us about your childhood.
What do you think about city life? Did you move to the city from the countryside? What was that like?
Have you kept any personal objects that are important to your life? Would you like to talk about your memories of them?
What are your experiences of the democratic revolution? What did you think democracy would bring? What do you feel the result of democracy has been? Do you think men and women participated in or experienced the democratic movement in different ways? If so, how?
NGOs became an important and visible part of Mongolian social and political life after 1990. Some existed under socialism and may also be covered with this keyword.
Социализм үед дарга зэрэг ямар харилцаа байсан вэ? Тэр үед дарга эрх мэдээлэлтэй ямар байдал байсан вэ? How have people’s attitudes towards authority changed over your lifetime (in your experience)? What about in the workplace? What about at home? Religious authority?
What kind of new technologies were introduced during the socialist period? What do you think was the most startling new technology you encountered in your life? What about: radio? Television? Film? Motor transport? Agricultural / industrial machinery? Airplanes?
What were the most important (good or bad) foreign influences and practices? What were the most important (good or bad) Mongol ones?
How has the environment around you changed? Have there been any positive or negative changes? Have the names of places been changed? If so, when and why?
How has family life changed in your experience? How have government policies towards families changed over your lifetime?
When it comes to the departed, have people’s attitudes, practices, funerals, commemoration, changed? If so, how?
