Participation Type
Paper
Session Title
Session 8.01 Historic Sites
Presentation #1 Title
Exploring the Construct of "Dwelling Place” in the Oral Histories of The Carter Family Fold
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
To preface, my project focuses on the notion of "dwelling place" and utilizing the oral histories of people interviewed to understand how The Carter Family Fold functions as a sight/site of memory and history in addition to a second-home. Abstract: This is an interpretive oral history project that relies upon the methods of ethnographic fieldwork (interviews, participant observation, and library/archival research) in order to understand how the Carter Family Fold (CFF) functions rhetorically as a site/sight of memory and history. The CFF is a "pilgrimage destination" (Edensor: 1998) for tourists interested in Appalachian history, Southern culture, and traditional music. It also serves as a "memory place" (Dickinson, Blair, and Ott: 2011) for local residents and musicians who value the CFF as an authentic reflection of an endangered culture. This project engages community members, musicians, and tourists by focusing on the unscripted narratives and rhetorical interventions that emerge "organically" through the performances of oral history, culture, and the rhetoric of place. Integrating the theory of “Dwelling Place” (Hyde, 2004), the interviews focus on the telling and re-telling of how this place, functions as a second-home. Through the narratives, the meaning of the CFF is constantly in flux; however, the memories not only create a meaning of this destination but also, show how important it is in the broader context of community.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Lora E. Smith is a first-year Doctoral Student at Indiana University - Bloomington in the Department of Communication & Culture.
Exploring the Construct of "Dwelling Place” in the Oral Histories of The Carter Family Fold
To preface, my project focuses on the notion of "dwelling place" and utilizing the oral histories of people interviewed to understand how The Carter Family Fold functions as a sight/site of memory and history in addition to a second-home. Abstract: This is an interpretive oral history project that relies upon the methods of ethnographic fieldwork (interviews, participant observation, and library/archival research) in order to understand how the Carter Family Fold (CFF) functions rhetorically as a site/sight of memory and history. The CFF is a "pilgrimage destination" (Edensor: 1998) for tourists interested in Appalachian history, Southern culture, and traditional music. It also serves as a "memory place" (Dickinson, Blair, and Ott: 2011) for local residents and musicians who value the CFF as an authentic reflection of an endangered culture. This project engages community members, musicians, and tourists by focusing on the unscripted narratives and rhetorical interventions that emerge "organically" through the performances of oral history, culture, and the rhetoric of place. Integrating the theory of “Dwelling Place” (Hyde, 2004), the interviews focus on the telling and re-telling of how this place, functions as a second-home. Through the narratives, the meaning of the CFF is constantly in flux; however, the memories not only create a meaning of this destination but also, show how important it is in the broader context of community.
