Family History Research Project

This assignment is to write a history of one part of the life of an older member of your family or an interesting older person in your community (Try to find someone over 70). Start early, so you have enought time to decide who you will interview and make the arrangements. You may have to wait until the summer holiday before you can meet with them.

Not only is a family history a project of interest in itself, but many of you are interested in some sort of cross-cultural studies. Finding out about pre-war Japan will help you to appreciate how much Japan has changed between then and now.

1. Choose an older family member with whom you are close or who has had an interesting life.

2. Arrange to interview him/her on tape about part of his/her personal history.

3. Topics that may be of interest are:

• How that person met and fell in love with his/her spouse.
• Courtship rituals at that time.
• Relationships between boys and girls, or young men and women at that time.
• That person's education -- elementary school, secondary school, university.
• Family life -- roles of the father and mother.
• The type of work the parents did.
• A detailed description of a typical day during a period of their life.

4. Once you have chosen a topic, write down the kinds of questions you will ask them. See me for suggestions if you are having difficulties thinking of types of questions that would be useful or click here to go to a more extensive list of topics and questions you can ask.

Writing up your family history research project:

• Look at the example I've written.
• Notice I've written about my father's recollection of a well-known character in my hometown, not about my father directly. You may choose to write as I have about someone your relative knew or you may wish to write about your relative directly.
• Start by giving a little background about the person you are talking to or writing about.
• You can quote them directly (i.e., have them tell their own story) or give a version of their story in your own words.