2012 OHA Annual Meeting
October 10-14, 2012

Cleveland Marriott Downtown
Cleveland, Ohio
Deadline: January 20, 2012

For online proposal submission, visit: http://forms.oralhistory.org/proposal/login.cfm

Sing It Out, Shout It Out, Say It Out Loud: Giving Voice through Oral History

Voices raised in song, in anger, in celebration, in protest, in joy, in memoriam–all have been gathered by oral historians in the course of their work. Over the years the methodology of oral history has given voice to many different individuals from diverse communities and locations around the globe. They have had microphones set in front of them, and they have been given a chance to have their say, say their piece, speak their minds, and put in their two cents’ worth. In some instances the chroniclers have been interviewed before, by journalists or other members of the media, but in other cases, an oral history interview was the first time anyone outside a narrator’s circle of family or friends had asked for his or her perspective. Oral history makes a difference by gathering up all of these disparate voices and making them accessible as a larger chorus, whether through traditional archives, online databases, books, museum exhibits, theater performances, documentaries, radio broadcasts, podcasts, or blogs. The 2012 OHA meeting will focus not only on the many ways that people express themselves within oral histories, but also the ways in which people craft existing oral histories into other means of expression.

In 2012, Cleveland will serve as the host for the OHA meetings, and it is a perfect location since it represents so many facets of the conference theme. Cleveland is an industrialized, working-class city, with the region surrounding it encompassing everything from other urban areas to rural mining and farming communities, and all have seen their share of protests (civil rights, anti-war, and labor). And just as there is a tradition of protest, there is also an equally strong–and very often intertwined—tradition of music and performance, with Appalachian music from one direction, eastern European music from another, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame standing firmly on the shores of Lake Erie. In addition, oral history practitioners in the area are finding new and interesting ways to make their interviews accessible to a broader public audience. We welcome and encourage the oral historians in Cleveland and the surrounding area to submit papers and proposals, regardless of how directly their projects align with this year’s theme.

As with all previous OHA meetings, the Program Committee welcomes broad and diverse interpretations of the conference theme as reflected in proposals for panels, individual papers, performances, exhibits, and roundtables. In the spirit of the theme, we especially encourage presenters to think about nontraditional delivery models, such as interactive sessions, dialogic formats that engage audiences, and use of digital media.

Presenters are reminded to incorporate voice and image in their presentations. OHA is open to proposals from the variety of fields traditionally represented in our meetings, including, but not limited to, history, folklore, literature, sociology, anthropology, American and ethnic studies, cultural studies, gender studies, political science, information science and technology, communications, and urban studies.

In recognition of the important work occurring outside the United States, we also hope to have a significant international presence at the meeting. And, as always, OHA welcomes proposals from independent scholars, community activists and organizers, archivists, librarians, museum curators, web designers, documentary producers, media artists, ethnographers, public historians, and all practitioners whose work is relevant to this meeting’s focus on giving voice.

If accepted, international presenters may apply for partial scholarships, made available by OHA in support of international presentations. Please note that OHA’s resources allow for limited support. Small scholarships are also available for accepted presenters or others who attend the meeting.

Proposal format: Proposals may be submitted for individual presentations or for full sessions–panels or roundtables– which may include as many as four participants or thematically-related presentations as well as a session moderator and a commentator or discussion leader. For individual proposals, submit a title, an abstract of no more than 200 words and a one-page vita or resume of the presenter. For a full session, submit a title, a session abstract of not more than 300 words, and a one-page vita or resume for each participant. Each submission can be entered on the web at: http://forms.oralhistory.org/proposal/login.cfm

Online submission begins December 1, 2011.

The deadline for submission of all proposals is January 20, 2012.

For more information about requirements for proposals for individual presentations and group sessions, see Proposal Guidelines (pdf)

For guidance in writing an abstract for an OHA presentation, see Abstract Guidelines (pdf)

Questions about planning and creating proposals may be directed to
Chuck Bolton, University of North Carolina, Greensboro,
2012 Program Co-Chair:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Elinor Mazé, Baylor University, 2012 Program Co-Chair:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Mary A. Larson, Oklahoma State University, 2012-13
OHA President:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

For help with submitting a proposal online, contact:

Madelyn Campbell, Executive Secretary

Oral History Association

Dickinson College, P. O. Box 1773

Carlisle, PA 17013

Telephone (717) 245-1036 Fax: (717) 245-1046

E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it