What topics and themes in mission history should/could be documented in oral interviews?
a. First impressions b. Critical events c. Origins d. Candidating e. Calling to missionary service f. Non-western colleagues (impressions) g. Faith struggles h. Personal struggles (mothers sending children to school; observations of traumatic events i. Controversial themes and issues (church state ordination of women) j. Relationships: i. church-mission ii. administration-mission iii. Protestant- Catholic iv. Inter-religion k. Divisive issues l. Taboo issues (trust, timing yields the right to deepen the level of questioning) 6. Essentials for a good interview a. High level of trust b. Verification (or at least qualification, aware that there will be disparate and sometimes conflicting memories of same event. The mission builder will have a different memory of the building of a hospital than will the mission CEO). 7. Relative advantages and disadvantages of taped versus transcribed or merely recalled interviews: Tape/Video Transcribed -time consuming to access -immediate -intimidating –
