Votre ressource mondiale sur le patrimoine
EN
ES
FR
Réf.
41856
Type
conference item
Titre
Processes of identification and documentation
Langues
English
Auteurs
Mbangela, Ethel Nomvula
Date
2003
Pagination de section
1-7
Titre de conférence
14th ICOMOS General Assembly and International Symposium: ‘Place, memory, meaning: preserving intangible values in monuments and sites’
Lieu de conférence
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Date de conférence
27 – 31 oct 2003
Mots-clés
oral tradition / intangible heritage / interpretation / languages / documentation / Aboriginal cultures / rituals / traditional knowledge
Résumé en anglais
Oral history is the most narrative of all disciplines; it is arecollection of participants in and/or eyewitnesses to a
historical event. Oral history refers to the knowledge thatis transmitted orally over several generations within a
given society. Oral history can therefore be defined as arecord of information gathered in oral form, usually by
electronic means, as a result of a planned interview. Incontrast with written history, oral history is an inclusive
and involving history to which each generation adds itsknowledge and transmissions of the past generation. The
purpose of oral history is to create a spoken record wherenone exists or to supplement existing records for future
studies. These histories are easily remembered andpresented in imaginable forms to assist the process of
memory and production. Oral traditions depend onhuman memory for their preservation. If tradition is to
survive, it must be stored in one person’s memory and bepassed on to others. Memory is of importance. For instance, consider the ways
in which learning and teaching take place in a socialsituation such as a performance or ritual, and the ways in
which meaningful stories are taught and remembered.Cultural transmission is remarkable as it allows for
mastery by one person (teaching) and enoughopportunity for observation and modeling by others
(learning). Oral history can be a very useful tool inbridging the gap between scholarly- and communitybased
research. Language is to a large extent embedded inculture and vice -versa. Language is as much a cultural
product as culture is a linguistic product, since languageis the vehicle on which oral traditions travel. The focus of
the presentation will be the discussion of the importanceof language in the processes of identification and reading
of places, the interpretation of the intangible dimensionsand associations in a place. Therefore, it will basically be
the relation between language and the interpretation ofMonuments and Heritage Sites.
historical event. Oral history refers to the knowledge thatis transmitted orally over several generations within a
given society. Oral history can therefore be defined as arecord of information gathered in oral form, usually by
electronic means, as a result of a planned interview. Incontrast with written history, oral history is an inclusive
and involving history to which each generation adds itsknowledge and transmissions of the past generation. The
purpose of oral history is to create a spoken record wherenone exists or to supplement existing records for future
studies. These histories are easily remembered andpresented in imaginable forms to assist the process of
memory and production. Oral traditions depend onhuman memory for their preservation. If tradition is to
survive, it must be stored in one person’s memory and bepassed on to others. Memory is of importance. For instance, consider the ways
in which learning and teaching take place in a socialsituation such as a performance or ritual, and the ways in
which meaningful stories are taught and remembered.Cultural transmission is remarkable as it allows for
mastery by one person (teaching) and enoughopportunity for observation and modeling by others
(learning). Oral history can be a very useful tool inbridging the gap between scholarly- and communitybased
research. Language is to a large extent embedded inculture and vice -versa. Language is as much a cultural
product as culture is a linguistic product, since languageis the vehicle on which oral traditions travel. The focus of
the presentation will be the discussion of the importanceof language in the processes of identification and reading
of places, the interpretation of the intangible dimensionsand associations in a place. Therefore, it will basically be
the relation between language and the interpretation ofMonuments and Heritage Sites.
Document joint
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