An A-to-Z of Oral History at Columbia is a periodic posting featuring people, events, and organizations in the Oral History Archive at Columbia’s collections, as well as behind-the-scenes info about oral history methodology.
Collection title: Institute for Research on Women, Gender, and Sexuality Oral History Collection
Interview contents: The Institute for Research on Women, Gender, and Sexuality Oral History Project* is comprised of interviews with 36 individuals involved in the founding and development of the Institute for Research on Women, Gender, and Sexuality (IRWGS) at Columbia University. Interviewers conducted these interviews over 68 sessions, creating over 90 hours of recordings Interviewers were guided by a set of research questions, which emphasized the role of IRWGS as a political actor within the broader context of Columbia University, agitating for the inclusion of feminist analysis and practice. As the project progressed, questions expanded to explore issues of generation, activism, the developments within feminism(s), evidence of increasing support of IRWGS by the university, and the challenge of addressing diversity, sexuality and other forms of social difference theoretically and as professional practice.
*IRWG is now the Institute for the Study of Sexuality and Gender.
Sample Interviews: with Professor Farah Griffin, newly appointed University Professor, which is the highest academic distinction Columbia confers on our own faculty, and Professor Alondra Nelson, advising the Biden White House on science and technology policy, including AI.
Behind the archival scenes: From the Columbia Center for Oral History Research, now situated with Incite in the Arts & Sciences, “In 2012, the Institute for Research on Women, Gender, and Sexuality (IRWGS) approached the Columbia Center for Oral History Research about embarking on an oral history project that would document the growth and development of feminism at Columbia. In celebration of its 25th anniversary, IRWGS sought a way to trace its contributions to feminist scholarship and its role within the larger context of Columbia University as a source of intellectual leadership.”
Access: This collection is publicly available online in the Digital Library Collection without a university login. Researchers can also make an appointment in the Rare Book & Manuscript Library reading room to hear the interviews and read transcripts. Information for ordering a limited number of interview transcripts and audio can be found by reviewing the The Oral History Archives at Columbia FAQ.
Additional resources:
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The Oral History Research Guide – for how to use oral history interviews as primary sources and methodology
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The Oral History Archives at Columbia FAQ – for how to listen to interviews and/or read transcripts