Research Fellowships
A number of oral history research projects have been undertaken by the SHP, mainly through the appointment of Research Fellows. These appointments were funded by grants from the University of the West Indies, and provided for the collection and classification of oral history data on occupations in Jamaica between 1900 and 1950.

Data has been gathered for occupations; namely, distillers, nursemaids, and women in the banana industry. Much of this data centres on the parishes of St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, Manchester, St. Mary, Portland, St. Thomas, Kingston and St. Andrew.

Research Fellows to the SHP included, Dr. Erna Brodber, 1990/1991; Dr. Adeline Apena, 1991/1992 and Mrs. Shirely Robertson.1992/1993, 1993/1994.

The SHP has also facilitated the management of oral testimonies garnered by Third Year undergraduate History students as part of their assignment in the then taught History course, “Techniques of Historical Investigation.” Many of these testimonies are concerned with the 1938 labour disturbances in Jamaica, minorities, folklore and social customs in 20th century Jamaica, herbal medicinal use in Jamaica, duppy stories, Chinese immigration to Jamaica, ports of Jamaica, and the effects of World War II in Jamaica.

The result is over 200 taped interviews in the possession of the SHP, now housed in the Special Collections of the Main Library, University of the West Indies, Mona.

An index to the SHP’s oral history collection was compiled by Mrs. Enid Brown, Librarian, the University of the West Indies Library, Mona, and is entitled, History Through the Spoken Word: A Guide to the Oral History Collection of the Social History Project of the Department of History, Faculty of Arts and Education, University of the West Indies (2001).