Macy

Family Oral History Questions

The following are question areas adapted from A Celebration of American Family Folklore: Tales and Traditions from the Smithsonian Collection. An oral history outline could be developed by selecting from this list. If you are doing an interview with a family member, you may want to personalize the questions with references to yourself. No matter whom you are interviewing, you should word the questions so that they reflect your personality and style.

1. What do you know about your family name? What does it mean?

2. Are there any traditional family names that have been used throughout the family history?

3. Are there any family traditions that have been passed through the generations? Have these traditions gone through variations? Is a specific side of the family dominant?

4. Are there any special stories that have been passed down from one generation to the next? What are the variations in these stories? (Consider marriage, work, religion, political beliefs, hobbies, schooling, etc.)

5. Are there any notorious or infamous characters in the family history? How do most members of the family regard such a character?

6. How did your parents, grandparents, and other relatives come to meet and marry? Are there family stories of love lost, jilted brides, unusual courtships, arranged marriages, elopements, runaway lovers?

7. Have any great historical events significantly affected the family, e.g. the Great Depression, the Civil War, the Vietnam war?

8. Are there any stories in your family about how a great fortune was lost or made?

9. What are some common expressions (old sayings, proverbs) that people in your family use a lot?

10. How are holidays celebrated in your family? What special traditions do you have? What are the norms governing these special occasions?

11. Does your family hold a reunion? How important is it? How is it organized?

12. Does the family have special...