W5 - Pattinson: Gendered Intersubjectivity in Oral History Interviews

Definition: Gendered intersubjectivity refers to the multifaceted ways in which gender shapes and influences interactions between interviewer and interviewee, ultimately impacting the narratives that are shared during oral history interviews. This concept is crucial in understanding how personal and societal gender norms can inform the storytelling process and the reception of those stories.
Context: The importance of gendered intersubjectivity is examined through a focused study on British secret war veterans, utilizing interviews conducted with both male and female veterans of the Special Operations Executive (SOE). The SOE played a key role in World War II, and studying these veterans allows for deeper insights into how gender affects the recollection and sharing of wartime experiences.

Influence of Gender on Narratives: Gender significantly shapes the content and structure of narratives, yet it should not eclipse other critical dynamics such as social status, generation, and individual personality traits. These factors interplay and can enrich understanding of the interviewee's life context.
Composure: Interviewees carefully compose their life stories with an intended audience in mind, which aids in the construction and performance of their identities within the narratives. This act of storytelling can involve both presenting oneself in a favorable light and processing complex emotions tied to their experiences.
Empirical Studies: There remains a notable lack of empirical scholarship specifically targeting the role of intersubjectivity on the quality and reliability of oral testimonies, suggesting a need for rigorous research in this area to better understand these dynamics.

Sample Size: The study encompassed 58 interviews with SOE veterans, comprising 32 female and 26 male participants, conducted between 1999-2002. This balance allows for comparisons of gendered experiences and expressions.
Diverse Backgrounds: Participants' ages ranged from 72 to 96 years, spanning significant generational differences gone through momentous societal changes. Their socio-economic backgrounds varied across working-class, middle-class, and upper-class, which may influence their perspectives and storytelling styles.
Researcher’s Identity: The researcher’s identity—being middle-class, white, and female—influenced the interaction dynamics during interviews. This identity can create a distinct power balance and influence how interviewees relate to and engage with the interviewer.

Differences in Communication: Gender differences significantly shaped the ways narratives were communicated.
- Female veterans tended to share personal anecdotes, expressing emotions through rapport-talk which engages the interviewer on a personal level and often builds a connection through shared understanding and empathy. This engagement reflects the relational approach that many female interviewees preferred.
- Conversely, male veterans typically employed a more factual storytelling approach, often resorting to report-talk, which is characterized by a focus on objective details over personal feelings, conveying experiences in a more detached manner.
Significant Example: One female veteran openly recounted her personal challenges and relationships formed during the war, articulating vulnerabilities and emotional realities. In contrast, male counterparts often exhibited reluctance to discuss their personal lives, focusing primarily on the facts of military operations and their roles within them. Such differences illustrate the broader implications of gender on narrative construction.

Effects of Intersubjectivity: The interpersonal dynamics emerging between the interviewer and interviewee can significantly enrich or inhibit the storytelling process. These dynamics are complex and fluid, influenced by gender, age, and other social identifiers such as class, leading to variations in how freely veterans share their experiences and emotions.
Observation of Generational Gap: A noticeable generational gap surfaced in interviews, where younger interviewers were perceived differently by older interviewees. This variation in perception could shift dialogue patterns, reflecting changing cultural norms over time and the evolving understanding and expectations of what constitutes a narrative.

Important challenges were identified where some women felt hesitant or struggled with sharing their experiences, often stemming from a perceived worthlessness of their stories. The ambivalent attitudes towards feminist perspectives influenced their comfort levels in engaging with the researcher, which could potentially inhibit authentic narrative sharing.
Significant Example: A female veteran initially requested anonymity to discuss her experiences but gradually opened up as rapport was established, highlighting the importance of interpersonal trust in eliciting deeper narratives.

In conclusion, while the concept of gendered intersubjectivity holds substantial importance in understanding oral histories, many narratives exhibited resilience, with many veterans relying on well-rehearsed responses rather than spontaneous, gendered dialogues.
There is a pressing need for further studies focusing on the broader social dynamics influencing oral history narratives, especially considering intersectionalities and the multiplicity of identities that shape individual experiences.
The analysis highlights that conclusions drawn from oral histories should not overly simplify the intricate relationship between gender, social status, and the construction of memory, recognizing the nuanced perspectives that emerge from personal storytelling.