Abstract
Joanna Bornat, Daniela Koleva
The Open University, UK / St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia
Oral history crossing national boundaries: a study of belief and non belief in three European countries
Though oral historians are well known for the internationalism of their outlook and practice, examples of comparative work are few. Coupled with this has been oral history’s neglect of religion and secularism over the period within living memory. For these reasons a project investigating the changing historical experience of changing attitudes to traditional religious ritual in three European countries, Bulgaria, Romania and the UK offers opportunities to develop oral history as an approach in relation to two previously under-explored themes: comparison across national boundaries and changes in religious belief. In this paper we outline the Religion and Secular Ceremonies project and review examples of comparative oral history before going on to present findings from the project with examples from all three countries. Finally we consider what a comparative approach offers oral history, drawing on our experience of working cross-nationally.
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