Életúttörténetek

Életút-történetek are narrative accounts that document the life paths of individuals, emphasizing key experiences, decisions, and milestones that shape a person’s trajectory. The form spans literary memoirs, oral-history interviews, and documentary storytelling, and is used in literature, journalism, sociology, and cultural heritage work. The focus is on turning points such as education, work, family, migration, illness, conflict, and resilience, as well as the social and historical contexts that frame them.

Forms and methods include collecting material through interviews, diary-based writing, or narrated documentaries. They are often presented in the first person or through a close editorial perspective, and may be structured chronologically or thematically. The aim is to convey a sense of life as a process rather than a fixed biography, highlighting personal meaning, choices, and consequences.

Relation to other genres varies: life-course storytelling is typically more participatory and subjective than traditional biographies or autobiography, relying on memory and personal interpretation. It raises methodological and ethical considerations regarding consent, representation, and potential harm. Editors and researchers often work collaboratively with the storyteller to balance accuracy, privacy, and storytelling.

In Hungarian discourse, éleut-történetek are used in educational, cultural, and research settings to preserve personal histories and illuminate social change. They are employed in memory work, oral history projects, and qualitative studies to provide qualitative insight into how individuals experience broader historical and social structures.