Oral history interviewing in employment/industrial relations research

Oral history is an inductive research method which explores the lived experience and perspectives of individuals. At its heart, the oral history method aims to shed light on untold stories and subjects from history that have been silenced, forgotten, marginalised or understudied, thereby helping to illuminate perspectives from the past. This chapter explores the oral history method by drawing insights from a research project that examined women’s activism in Australian unions from the late 1960s to the present, focusing on the lived experience of women activists. To date, the voices and stories of women unionists have been less recognised and valued in Australian union history, overlooking important ways in which women have shaped the union movement and industrial and social outcomes. Through documenting my experiences in the field from interviewing women activists, I illustrate the oral history method in practice, demonstrating the benefits and challenges of utilising this method in employment relations (ER) research.