Talking About Work Oral History Interview Project,
Scope and Content
Talking About Work Oral History Interview Project spans the dates 2008 to 2011. The collection consists of oral history interviews conducted by students with interviewees who lived or worked in Montgomery County, Virginia. The interviews focused on individuals' jobs and the issues that affect middle class, working class, and wage laborers. The collection also includes annotated bibliographies related to issues that affect workers and reflection papers about working prepared by the students interviewers. Some interviews include images of the interviewee.
Dates
- 2008 - 2011
Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research with the exception of Box 3, which contains restricted materials not available to the public. Restricted materials include release forms and catalog sheets which contain personal contact information. Also restricted for varying periods of time are three other interviews, which will be released upon the designated date.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish material from Talking About Work Oral History Interview Project must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.
Historical Note
Begun in the fall semester of 2008, Talking About Work is an oral history project conceived by Dr. Emily Satterwhite for her students over several semesters of HUM 2504 Introduction to American Studies. In the project, each class collected and analyzed evidence about individuals' relationships to work on and near the Virginia Tech campus. The interviewees lived or worked in Montgomery County, Virginia. The focus of the project was on issues that disproportionately affect working class and wage laborers such as minimum wage versus a "living wage," issues of class status, access to health care and retirement options, and ability to pass along educational opportunities and financial support to family members. Interviews were with middle class or working class employees.
In addition to conducting and transcribing an interview, class members also prepared an annotated bibliography and a reflections paper about what they had learned.
Extent
2.05 Cubic Feet (3 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Oral history interviews conducted by students of Dr. Emily Satterwhite's HUM 2504 Introduction to American Studies class with interviewees who work on or near the Virginia Tech campus. Interviews explore the particular jobs of the interviewees and the issues related to working for these interviewees. The collection also contains annotated bibliographies and reflections papers created by students about their interview experience. There are images of some of the interviewees.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in series corresponding to the semester in which the interviews were conducted. There is also a series containing restricted materials. Within a series, interviews are arranged alphabetically by interviewee. Series I: Fall 2008 Series II: Spring 2010 Series III: Fall 2010 Series IV: Fall 2011 Series V: Restricted Materials: This series contains Catalogue Forms completed by the student interviewers and release forms. Because these forms contain personal information about both interviewers and interviewees, they can not be made available to the public. This series also includes interviews that have time restrictions. Interviews will be moved to the appropriate series once the time restriction has passed.
Acquisition Information
The Talking About Work Oral History Interview Project materials were donated to Special Collections in multiple accessions during 2011 and 2012.
Processing Information
The processing, arrangement, and description of the Talking About Work Oral History Interview Project was completed in April 2013.
- Title
- Talking About Work Oral History Interview Project, 2008-2011
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Tamara Kennelly, University Archivist
- Date
- © 2013 Virginia Tech. All rights reserved.
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech Repository
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu