Studs Terkel's Working

by Ayers, Rick

• ISBN13: 9781565846265
• ISBN10: 1565846265
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-01-01
• Publisher: New Pr

Summary

An invaluable educational resource for introducing Studs Terkel's classic work of oral history to today's students. Pulitzer Prize-winning writer/journalist Studs Terkel is world famous for his oral histories, considered an innovator in modern ethnographic research. Working, Terkel's most popular book, provides a powerful and original perspective on one of the most basic components of human experience: work. The farmer, receptionist, college professor, mail carrier, stockbroker, athlete, and many others share their daily routines and dreams in their own words. Working has long been recognized as an ideal teaching tool, presenting provocative material certain to engage students, ignite classroom discussion, and inspire thoughtful writing. Now, helping educators discover a variety of approaches for using Working in the classroom, Rick Ayers presents a comprehensive teaching guide to this celebrated classic. With its 200 pages of classroom materials--including questions, topics for discussion, tips for taking oral histories, and a bibliography of related resources--Ayers' teaching guide is certain to be welcomed by educators everywhere. As an added bonus, it includes a new interview with Terkel himself, offering insight into the making of Working.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	xi
Introduction	xiii
I. TEACHING UNITS
Interview Techniques	3	(33)
Interviewing Peers	3	(3)
Professional Models	6	(4)
Interview Assignment	10	(4)
Publishing	14	(22)
Oral History	36	(14)
The Federal Writers' Project	36	(3)
Collecting Oral History	39	(11)
Issues in Biography	50	(16)
Reading Biography	50	(10)
Writing Biography	60	(6)
Drama	66	(15)
Language: An Ear for the Voice	66	(10)
Performance: The Human Drama	76	(5)
New Economics	81	(14)
Research in Economics	81	(7)
Interviews in Economics	88	(7)
II. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES TO ACCOMPANY WORKING
Introduction	95	(1)
The Prefaces	96	(1)
Working the Land	97	(2)
Communications; A Pecking Order; Did You Ever Hear the One About the Farmer's Daughter?; The Commercial	99	(7)
Cleaning Up; Watching	106	(5)
The Demon Lover: The Making; The Driving; The Parking; The Selling	111	(2)
Appearance; Counting; Footwork; Just a Housewife	113	(11)
The Quiet Life; Brokers; Bureaucracy; Organizer	124	(3)
The Sporting Life; In Charge; Ma and Pa Courage; Reflections on Idleness and Retirement	127	(4)
The Age of Charlie Blosom; Cradle to the Grave	131	(3)
The Quiz Kid and the Carpenter; In Search of a Calling; Second Chance; Fathers and Sons	134	(7)
III. A CONVERSATION WITH STUDS TERKEL
The Interview	141	(21)
Editing Lesson	162	(9)
IV. RESOURCES
Oral History Association	171	(22)
Oral History Standards	171	(2)
Principles and Standards of the Oral History Association	173	(6)
Oral History Evaluation Guidelines	179	(14)
Resource Guide	193	(6)
Media Literacy Resources	193	(1)
Film and Video Resources	193	(1)
Oral History Web Sites	194	(5)
Bibliography	199