The turn to oral history in Qatar and the Arabian (also known as Persian) Gulf is not a rejection of traditional archival authority as has been the case in other parts of the world. In the Gulf, oral history has been embraced out of a desire to fill the silences of the largely unwritten record attributable to previous low levels of literacy and strong oral traditions in the region. Today, oral history is seen as the best method to capture details about traditional ways of life during the pre-oil era. After discussing archival concerns about the evidentiary nature of oral histories, this paper explores how it has come to be a crucial documentation tool in the Gulf, adapted to the specific nation building and cultural heritage priorities of the region.

中文翻译：

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“从人们的口中寻求信息”：卡塔尔和海湾地区档案馆的口述历史

卡塔尔和阿拉伯（也称为波斯）海湾地区口述历史的转变并不像世界其他地区那样拒绝传统的档案权威。在海湾地区，口述历史之所以被人们接受，是因为它希望填补该地区以前不识字率低和该地区强大的口头传统造成的大部分未成文记录的沉默。如今，口述历史被视为捕捉前石油时代传统生活方式细节的最佳方法。在讨论了有关口述历史的证据性质的档案问题之后，本文探讨了口述历史如何成为海湾地区的重要文献工具，以适应该地区特定的国家建设和文化遗产优先事项。