The first ethnographic method I used was survey questionnaires. Within a total of six questions, the first two ask about whether the participant is familiar with Deaf culture or encountered with the topic of Deaf. Consistent with the participants’ cultural background, 25% (5) people from Deaf culture both answered “yes”, and 75% (15) from hearing culture said “no”. It is surprising that all fifteen people from hearing culture exactly chose “no”. When I randomly reached out to the reasons, some answered they have heard about deafness, but they are not that familiar with it. The third question asked participants to choose between two descriptions of Deaf: “A disability refers to hearing loss” and “minority group of people who focus on visual …show more content…
With the similar trend of these three questions, majority (60%, 12) believe deaf people need medical help and hearing aid, less participants (40%, 8) believe deaf people can communicate fluently through sign language without speaking. Although most people are still on hearing culture’s side, three people tend to have the same idea from Deaf culture’s side. However, with the fifth question asking about which method is better for deaf people to get educated, the situation is totally reverse. 40% (8) of participants said deaf people should be educated in oral way with hearing devices, 60% (12) of participants said deaf people are good to be educated by sign language. This shows, more people believe the power of sign language in some content, and take it as a real language as same as oral languages. Comparing with participants’ clear answers before, they began to have struggling ideas. In order to have a better understanding of people’s opinion, I designed a multiple-choice question required participants to choose three words to describe being deaf. From the wordlist of seven, everyone can choose three or less than three words which they think mostly fit deaf
He discusses the myths and prejudices that Deaf people frequently face, encouraging readers to reconsider their ideas about Deafness and to appreciate and celebrate diversity. Deaf Again explores the cultural disparities between the Deaf and hearing populations, which is one of its main themes. In addition to highlighting the significance of American Sign Language as a critical tool for communication and cultural expression, Drolsbaugh skillfully illustrates the extensive history of Deaf culture. He draws attention to the challenges Deaf people have navigating a predominately auditory culture by drawing a comparison between this and the hearing world's reliance on spoken language. Additionally, Drolsbaugh analyzes the subtleties of Deaf cultural norms and values, including the significance of visual communication, collectivism, and pride in one's Deaf identity.
Deaf people share certain behavioral norms such as eye contact, body language and gestures enable them to communicate effectively. They rely on body touch waving hands, using a third person, hugs and have open communication. They value the ASL, interpreters, devices that help them communicate effectively such as vibrating systems, and visual alerts. They have a tradition of sticking or forming their own groups where they champion for their rights and respect from others in the community. The Deaf subculture is referred to as a subcultural group mainly because the members have distinct behaviors, physical artifacts, traditions, values, history, and beliefs that distinguish them from the other people (Minnesota Department of Human Services, 2013).
When I finished reading the book I realized that I had just learned way more than I had been expecting. Just reading the first chapter was enough for me to be awestruck by the intricacies of the Deaf culture, but as I continued reading I realized that the depth and many levels of social structure are so detailed that being able to fully understand them would be simply impossible. I was very impressed with the amount of respect that the word Deaf conveys among the Deaf community. The first chapter to me seemed to be the most interesting. The many stories about Deaf children meeting friends and interacting shed a new light on the way that Deaf people learn to communicate. The word Deaf itself is
The phrase "but you don't look deaf" was the impetus for this research project. The stereotype exists that if you are deaf or have another disability, you are easily distinguished by visual clues that the person is deaf. This research sought to discover if hearing people were correct in this assumption, and you could tell that someone was deaf because of a particular visual clues that would indicate they are deaf. In order to research this idea, I made a survey online using google forms using images of both hearing, hard of hearing and deaf people and asked respondents to choose one of the responses. The findings are being presented with google spreadsheets and google forms.
“The differences then lie in how this obstacle determines their lives and hoy they perceive it.” Deaf people do not see themselves as incapacitated, they simply practice a distinct culture (with their own language, values and norms). Just like any other culture, the members have a sense of acceptance and belonging (Munoz-Baell, 2000).
The deaf community does not see their hearing impairment as a disability but as a culture which includes a history of discrimination, racial prejudice, and segregation. According to PBS home video “Through Deaf Eyes,” there are thirty-five million Americans that are hard of hearing (Hott, Garey & et al., 2007) . Out of the thirty-five million an estimated 300,000 people are completely deaf. There are over ninety percent of deaf people who have hearing parents. Also, most deaf parents have hearing children. With this being the exemplification, deaf people communicate on a more intimate and significant level with hearing people all their lives. “Deaf people can be found in every ethnic group, every region, and every economic class.” The
Some of the unique customs I have observed among Deaf people that would differentiate them from most hearing people would be the communication between one another and the use of expressions. The difference in communicating between both cultures play a big role in terms of comprehending someone either in the Deaf or hearing community. For instance, Deaf culture can communicate by signing, gesturing, lip reading, writing or typing to one another, video phones, emails, and by a third person who is capable of signing. As for the hearing culture, the communication is verbal. Therefore, voice calling such as the speaker is allowed when using telephones. In order to get someone’s attention in the Deaf culture the person must tap on their shoulder
There are numerous facts concerning the Deaf culture that I am not aware of, and a few of those elements have been made known. One of the new facts that surprised me was that approximately 90 percent of Deaf people are married to other Deaf people. This goes along with them being a tight-knit community. Another interesting piece of information I have learned is that I am to focus on a signer’s face, instead of their hands, while they are signing. Once I began to consider the expressions he or she would be showing while signing, and how one should pay attention while talking to another, it made perfect sense.
While investigating this topic I will be trying to ask at least 30-50 people; Deaf and hearing, about what they think Deaf culture is. I am very curious as to how many understand Deaf culture and how many Deaf people actually know what Deaf culture is. Deaf culture has been suppressed for many years that even the Deaf people might not know what really makes up Deaf culture. I also what to get the Deaf people’s take on what they think are the major issues that are being dealt with today and also how they think ASL has impacted their communities (History). I know that everyone will have a different take on these two questions and it is always interesting to see the different answers. I
The deaf community does not see their hearing impairment as a disability but as a culture which includes a history of discrimination, racial prejudice, and segregation. According to an online transcript,“Through Deaf Eyes” (Weta and Florentine films/Hott productions Inc., 2007) there are thirty-five million Americans that are hard of hearing. Out of the thirty-five million an estimated 300,000 people are completely deaf. There are ninety percent of deaf people who have hearing parents (Halpern, C., 1996). Also, most deaf parents have hearing children. With this being the exemplification, deaf people communicate on a more intimate and significant level with hearing people all their lives. “Deaf people can be found in every ethnic group,
The deaf subculture has always seemed so interesting, American Sign Language (ASL) is so intriguing, a personal friend is deaf and it is amazing, the fact that hearing and speaking could change a person’s culture so drastically. This essay will explain in broad terms what the deaf culture is like and how it is separate
Deaf culture is like any bother minority culture with a set of their own beliefs, morals, values, traditions, and other things.Deaf people is part of one of the largest societies, but yet it is fascinating to come across someone who is death because we are used to sound and chaos everywhere.
In some western cultures such as America and Australia, not much education is put forward regarding the deaf community and those facing this communication problem. In an annual conference where an individual of the deaf community was asked to discuss her experience as a deaf person living in a hearing community, Heather Artinian described the communication barrier between the two communities (The Heather world: Heather Artinian at TEDxGeorgetown, 2013). Similarly, in sub-Saharan Africa, there is not much emphasis placed on deaf culture and those facing auditory impairment. To date, there is not sub-Saharan African country that has dependable data regarding its deaf population. Today, education for the Deaf in most sub-Saharan African countries is sub-par at best (The Borgen Project, 2013). Education for the Deaf in sub-Saharan Africa is severely deficient, and they are often deprived of the opportunity to successfully live their lives independently to the best of their abilities. These two cultures do not spend a substantial amount of time and give appropriate education on the emphasis of those who are deaf and living among the
Bauman and Murray (2010) defines Deaf Studies as “interdisciplinary approaches to the exploration of Deaf individuals, communities, and cultures as they have evolved within a larger context of power and ideology” (p. 210). In other words, Deaf Studies refer to a specific academic field that studies deaf individuals and their unique communities and culture and may include constructs from anthropology, linguistics, bilingual education, disability, audiology, etc. Within the context of Deaf Studies, deaf individuals are no longer defined solely by their lack of hearing, but by their cultural, linguistic, and sensorial ways of being in the world (Bauman & Murray, 2010). That is why we hear people educated with Deaf Studies saying ASL kids to refer to deaf kids who use American Sign Language (ASL) system as their mode of communication or see them writing “Deaf” instead of “deaf” to give reference to the universally-recognized culture of people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Within the introduction the author expresses the importance of educating deaf children threw education and special training that they require and have they had the right to have available to them. The author explains the high importance sign language plays and the advantages it gives them insight, intervention into the deaf community. ASL, or sign language is essential within in this deaf community. Sign language is a creation of the deaf community’s history and it allows them to fulfill their protentional intertwined with all different types of cultures that sign language is built on.