REMINISCENCE AND WAR TRAUMA: RECALLING THE JAPANESE OCCUPATION OF SINGAPORE, 1942-1945.

The process of reminiscence, the act of recalling one's life story, entails a self-discovery of who one is. Understanding one's past and making sense of it is important for an individual's identity. However, remembering traumatic events or periods of many years ago can interrupt and challenge this process of having reminiscence affirm identity. The Japanese Occupation of Singapore was a traumatic period in the lives of people now over seventy years old. This study traces how individuals interviewed on the Japanese Occupation in Singapore integrated what they experienced and witnessed during the Japanese Occupation into their overall life story. The study derived from an oral history course for trainee teachers who would be using oral history in schools. It seeks to integrate lessons from oral history and reminiscence work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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