| Creator: | Indiana University Center for the Study of History and Memory |
| Title: | Media Perceptions of Contemporary Problems |
| Collection No.: | ohrc077 |
| Dates: | 1975-1976 |
| Quantity: |
Quantity: 10 Interviews (Audio files, transcripts, and collateral materials ) |
| Abstract: | This collection of interviews focuses on ongoing social problems in the United States and the world, such as overpopulation, famine, and depletion of the Earth's resources. The interviewees are almost all former Indiana University professors in their seventies. All of the interviewees are asked to recall their teenage years and share their opinions about current teenagers. They also discuss their media habits in detail. For example, each interviewee is asked how many hours of television he or she watches daily and which programs are preferred. They are also asked about their reading habits and whether or not they listen to the radio. Interviewees are asked to judge the reliability of news programs on a variety of media. Finally, interviewees are asked to provide predictions for the future of society. |
| Location: | Interviews are housed in Franklin Hall, Room 0030A. Contact ohrc@indiana.edu for more information. Copies of interview transcripts are also held by the IU Libraries University Archives. For other locations housing the interviews from this project, please contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice office. |
| Language: | Materials are in English |
| Repository: | Center for Documentary Research and Practice Franklin Hall 0030B 601 E. Kirkwood Avenue Bloomington, Indiana 47405 Business Number: 812-855-2856 ohrc@indiana.edu URL: https://cdrp.mediaschool.indiana.edu/ |
This collection contains ten interviews conducted in 1975. The interviews range from 85 to 180 minutes. All interviews consist of typed transcripts and most have audio tapes.
The archive of the Center for Documentary Research and Practice at Indiana University is open to the use of researchers. Copies of transcript pages are available only when such copies are permitted by the deed of gift. Scholars must honor any restrictions the interviewee placed on the use of the interview. Since some of our earlier (pre-computer) transcripts do not exist in final form, any editing marks in a transcript (deletions, additions, corrections) are to be quoted as marked. Audio files may not be copied for patrons unless the deed of gift permits it, and a transcript is unavailable for that interview. The same rules of use that apply to a transcript apply to the audio interview. Interviews may not be reproduced in full for any public use, but excerpted quotes may be used as long as researchers fully cite the data in their research, including accession number, interview date, interviewee's and interviewer's name, and page(s).
[interviewee first name last name] interview, by [interviewer first name last name], [interview date(s)], [call number], [project name], Center for Documentary Research and Practice, Indiana University, Bloomington, [page number(s) or tape number and side if no transcript; if digital audio and no transcript, cite time when quote occurs].
Oral history interviews conducted by the Indiana University Center for the Study of History and Memory from 1968 to the present, with particular focus on the history of twentieth-century America and the Midwest.
No(s): 75-052
Physical Description: 55 pages; 2 reels, 3 3/4 ips, 130 minutes; no index
Scope and Content Note: Theodora Allen, born in 1903, discusses her life-long commitment to social work and solving social problems. She describes the pioneering work she participated in during the Great Depression and Second World War. She also talks about her years as a professor at Indiana University and the inspiration she received from her students. She moves on to discuss her media habits and opinions about social changes. She expresses concern over the caste system and environmental pollution.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 76-001
Physical Description: 35 pages; 2 reels, 3 3/4 ips, 85 minutes; no index
Scope and Content Note: Elizabeth Cleland, born in 1901, discusses her background and her perceptions of the world's problems. She talks about her media habits and moves on to criticize the welfare program and the general lack of social responsibility that she perceives. Finally, she addresses the topic of teenagers.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 75-036
Physical Description: 73 pages; 2 reels, 3 3/4 ips, 175 minutes; no index
Scope and Content Note: Harry Day, born in 1903, shares his views on problems related to working in the United States and world-wide concerns like overpopulation and the energy crisis. He talks about his media habits in terms of which television programs he watches and what type of music he prefers. He mentions that printed news is more reliable than the news on television or on the radio. Finally, he shares his predictions for the future, which involve stricter government regulations.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 75-042
Physical Description: 40 pages; 2 reels, 3 3/4 ips, 95 minutes; photograph of interviewee
Scope and Content Note: Theodore Dorf, born in Kansas in 1902, shares his perceptions of current society and remarks on the changes he has witnessed during his lifetime. He talks about his experience as a professor of Spanish literature at Indiana University. He also shares his media habits, emphasizing his interest in certain television programs and his hobbies like gardening. Finally, he discusses his feelings toward teenagers and offers a few predictions for the future.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 75-046
Physical Description: 87 pages; 5 reels, 3 3/4 ips, 180 minutes
Scope and Content Note: Sada Murayama, born in Japan in 1901, shares her life experiences as an immigrant in the United States and offers her perceptions of society's problems. She shares her experiences in two separate Japanese internment camps and talks about going back to school in her forties to obtain a master's degree in social work. She briefly describes her media habits and offers her opinions of world problems, such as the need for equitable distribution, her understanding of "survival of the fittest," and the quality of life during her childhood. She also offers some predictions for the future.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 75-055
Physical Description: 49 pages; 2 reels, 3 3/4 ips, 120 minutes; no index
Scope and Content Note: Agnes Newton, born in Tennessee, shares her views of societal problems from the point of view of a former middle school teacher. She reveals her television habits and adds that the technology has assisted some students in learning more about the English language. She reflects on her own experiences as a teenager and ponders some of the problems affecting society, such as noise pollution and overpopulation.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 75-040
Physical Description: 48 pages; 2 reels, 3 3/4 ips, 115 minutes; photograph of interviewee
Scope and Content Note: Agapito Rey, born in Spain in 1892, shares his opinions of societal problems. Having been a language professor at Indiana University and worked with young adults all his life, he is of the opinion that society has improved with time and will not drastically change in the future. Dr. Rey also discusses his media habits, which are limited to watching the news on television, reading the newspaper and several magazines and listening to the radio.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 76-002
Physical Description: 43 pages; 2 reels, 3 3/4 ips, 100 minutes; no index
Scope and Content Note: Eunice Roberts, born in 1902, shares her insights about societal changes, family life, and solving the world's problems. She describes her background as an administrator working to promote equality. She also mentions her media habits, which include watching television, reading newspapers and magazines, but exclude listening to the radio. She also looks back on her teenage years and ponders whether or not people were happier then. Finally, she comments on teenagers and how comfortable she feels around them.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 75-043
Physical Description: 69 pages; no tapes; no index; photograph of interviewee
Scope and Content Note: Paul Seagers, born in 1903, shares his view of societal changes throughout his life. He describes his background and relates many memories of his childhood. He talks about the importance of having a work ethic and faults permissiveness for many of society's problems. Mr. Seager discusses his experiences in education and offers many insights into how schools have changed. He also mentions his love for reading and offers some predictions for the future.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 75-039
Physical Description: 37 pages; 2 reels, 3 3/4 ips, 85 minutes; no index
Scope and Content Note: Warren Stevens, born in 1913, shares his views of social change and solving the world's problems. As a lifelong teacher, he believes that teenagers have not changed and are generally more informed now compared to when he was young. He believes that many problems stem from the selfishness of people and that social change will not take place until people are directly affected. Mr. Stevens also shares his media habits and believes that radio programs are far more valuable than television.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open