by Matt Rutherford, Curator of Genealogy and Local History

Earlier this spring, I was contacted by Sravan K., a University of Chicago student who is interested in exploring his family's roots in India.  He came to the Newberry to learn oral history interviewing techniques and to familiarize himself with the principles of genealogy research.  Since then, Sravan has developed his interest into both an academic and personal project and he is spending the summer in Chennai, India, to interview several extended relatives. 

In addition to creating a family genealogy, Sravan will also be investigating how 20th c. social developments, including urbanization, industrializatin, and the spread of higher education, have affected his family, especially in the sphere of work.  As he puts it, his purpose is to "understand what changes [his] family underwent—in terms of structure, living arrangements, and individuals' identities—in the 20th century, and how the results of those changes were perceived by the members of [the] family."

It will be interesting to see how he uses genealogy and social history research techniques to inform and reinforce each other.  And it will be fun to learn about his family!  Follow his progress along with me on his blog, Writing a Family History, at: http://skfamilyhistory.blogspot.com

And for those interested in conducting their own oral histories, the Newberry has a lot of handbooks to help you.  Two of the best (that I recommended to Sravan) are available in the second floor reading room:

• Valerie Yow's Recording Oral History: a Guide for the Humanities and Social Sciences
• Donald Ritchie's Doing Oral History: a Practical Guide