In this reflection on the use of life histories in historical research, the focus is on historiographic work concerned with cultural (and therefore more subjective) questions. An oral history research project is being conducted among social groups in North Brazil whose socio-cultural standards differ greatly from those usually observed among urban populations in central-southern Brazil - and whose singularities are often lost to the eye of the outside observer. This article shows how this research experience has a bearing on a range of recent discussions about how oral history is and can be used in historical research. The central concern here is to understand the relationships between individual memories and the nuances found in the notion of popular culture.
oral history and videos; popular culture; memory; research sources