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deaf cultural identity
american deaf culture research paper
american deaf culture research paper
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The sound of your parents voice, hearing your favorite song playing on the radio, even knowing the sound of your own voice, these are just a few sounds that sadly many of us take for granted, and unfortunately many will never get to experience. Hearing loss affects about 10% of the Global population, with 124.2 million people affected from a moderate level to a severe disability. (WHO 2008)
Deafness can be the result of many different causes such as otitis media (middle ear infections), hereditary disorders, genetic mutations at birth, prenatal exposure to certain diseases such as meningitis, and trauma to the eardrum or auditory nerves. (Better Health Channel, 2013)
While not a cure to deafness, the invention of cochlear implants (CIs) now allows people who are severely hard of hearing or profoundly deaf to experience sound in a completely new way. This surgically implanted electronic device can provide a prosthetic substitute for hearing in deaf individuals. While everyone can agree this device has changed the way the world views deafness, opinions differ on whether this change is for the better or for the worse. The argument over cochlear implants raises the question should deafness be considered a fixable defect or
embraced as part of the deaf community? To some it would seem that cochlear implants are a threat to the deaf community by taking away their culture, however, many others, including myself, see cochlear implants as a medical advancement that can benefit many deaf individuals by giving them opportunities that may not have elsewise.
How Cochlear Implants Work
To understand the controversy on cochlear implants, you must first understand how the hearing process works. The ear consists of three parts: the...
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...13. Web. 14 November 2013.
Photo credit: "KidsHealth." Cochlear Implants. Nemours, n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.
Henshaw, Ashley. "The Pros And Cons Of Cochlear Implants." Symptomfind.com. Symptomfind, 12 June 2012. Web. 03 Nov. 2013.
"Meet Ricky." Raising Deaf Kids. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. .
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Taormina-Weiss, Wendy. ”Cochlear Implants – Facts, Benefits, and Risks” http://www.disabledworld.com/disability/types/hearing/communication/cochlear.php
28 March.2012. Web. 5 Dec 2013
The movie “Audism Unveiled” was a very interesting and powerful movie. I never realized that deaf individuals are discriminated against. This could be partly because I have never been immersed in or educated about the deaf culture until this year. One of the things that struck me the most while watching “Audism Unveiled” was the many heart wrenching stories about children being unable to communicate with their own non-signing hearing families.. The deaf child would have to ask their family members, why everyone was laughing or what’s going on. The family members would just tell them “I’ll tell you later” or “Nevermind. It’s not important”, resulting in the individual feeling isolated. Personally, I agree with people saying that if a parent has a deaf child they should learn how to sign; communication is what brings families together. As a result, the most intriguing thing to me was the stories of family members never learning American Sign Language; leaving their family member isolated.
Just like members of other minorities, such as Hispanics and African-Americans, Deaf people experience some of the same oppression and hardships. Although the attempts to "fix" members of and obliterate the DEAF-WORLD are not as highly publicized as problems with other minorities, they still exist. Throughout time, hearing people have been trying to destroy the DEAF-WORLD with the eugenics movement, the mainstreaming of Deaf children into public hearing schools, and cochlear implants.
Inspired by his deaf father he began to research the possibilities of an electronic implantable hearing device, a cochlear implant. His idea surfaced after reading an article by Blair Simmons. He was determined to give the deaf hearing as he had witnessed the frustration and isolation of those affected. His colleagues said a cochlear implant would be impossible, it was too complicated. His determination had paid off, and after a decade he had successfully invented the first cochlear implant. In 1978, Rod Saunders became the first recipient of Clark's implant.
Many individuals have different views surrounding cochlear implants. Most of the Deaf community tends to be against them whereas most of the hearing community tends to be in favor of them. It is important to understand not only want a cochlear implant is, but how the different communities view the implants so that we can gain a better understanding of Deaf culture.
Cochlear Implants are frequently thought of as an end all solution to hearing loss, a cure for deafness. However there are a couple things wrong with this line of thinking: First CI’s are not a perfect replacement for fully functioning ears. Second, they will only work for a few deaf people.
A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that can help to provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly Deaf or severely hard-of-hearing. The implant consists of an external portion that sits behind the ear and a second portion that is surgically placed under the skin. Usually, Deaf people are against the implant, because it would destroy the unique characteristic of themselves. Another point is that, the implant does not restore normal hearing. Instead, it can give a Deaf person only a representation of sounds in the environment and help him or her to understand the speech. Of course, the implant can change lives, but it is an individual choice. If a Deaf person does not want it, the decision must be respected. Audists feel that they have to force cochlear implants on Deaf people regardless of whenever they want it or not. Why would someone prefer to stay deaf? Simple: Members of the Deaf culture do not see themselves as disabled, and resent any discrimination or inference that they are disadvantaged. Their culture is wonderful and they are very proud to be part of
A cochlear implant is beneficial to a student with a hearing impairment or deafness. It would allow the student to have communication options that they otherwise would not have. While it is recognized that people with deafness have their own ways of communicating and their own culture, a cochlear implant would not necessarily change their culture as much as it would just advance their communication. While many people have deafness or hearing impairments and communicate with sign language, the majority of the population uses spoken language. The cochlear implant is meant to open up doors and opportunities, just as learning any new language would. People learn new languages all the time. It helps them communicate with people who they otherwise
Weise, Elizabeth. "Cochlear implants can be 'magic device' if put in early enough; Kids learn
According to Chapman et al., (2000), the loss of hearing appears to be a chronic issue through...
Twenty five percent of congenital hearing loss is from non-genetic factors. Some factors are: maternal infections, such as rubella, cytomegalovirus, or herpes. Other factors include: premature birth, low birth weight, birth injuries, anoxia, and toxins (ex: drugs and alcohol consumed by the mother during pregnancy).
Two centuries ago, the Deaf community arose in American society as a linguistic minority. Members of this community share a particular human condition, hearing impairment. However, the use of American Sign Language, as their main means of communicating, and attendance to a residential school for people with deafness also determine their entry to this micro-culture. Despite the fact that Deaf activists argue that their community is essentially an ethnic group, Deaf culture is certainly different from any other cultures in the United States. Deaf-Americans cannot trace their ancestry back to a specific country, nor do Deaf neighborhoods exist predominantly throughout the nation. Additionally, more than ninety percent of deaf persons are born from hearing parents (Singleton and Tittle 222). Consequently, they often feel isolated from their families, as they do not even share the same language. Non-hearing children born into hearing families are more likely to attend a regular public school with typical peers, causing them to have little contact with other members from the Deaf community. Therefore, this community embraces a diverse group of individuals, who are surprisingly different from the rest of the members of their own families. This situation causes a cross-cultural conflict, which others believe needs fixing. Nevertheless, society should not perceive the Deaf community as a disability group but as a discrete linguistic minority, rich in history, values, and traditions.
From a deafness-as-defect mindset, many well-meaning hearing doctors, audiologists, and teachers work passionately to make deaf children speak; to make these children "un-deaf." They try hearing aids, lip-reading, speech coaches, and surgical implants. In the meantime, many deaf children grow out of the crucial language acquisition phase. They become disabled by people who are anxious to make them "normal." Their lack of language, not of hearing, becomes their most severe handicap. While I support any method that works to give a child a richer life, I think a system which focuses on abilities rather than deficiencies is far more valuable. Deaf people have taught me that a lack of hearing need not be disabling. In fact, it shouldn?t be considered a lack at all. As a h...
Davies, Paul. (2005). Implants stir fight over deaf education. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved May 1, 2005, from http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/printstory.mpl/nation/3125477
Educating Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: Cochlear Implants. ERIC Digest #E554. Laughton, Joan; ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education, Reston, VA., 1997
Those not thoroughly educated in communication tend to confuse the terms “hearing” and “listening.” Although they appear to mean the same thing, utilize the same body part, and are both required for functional communication, there is a great difference between these two actions. Hearing involves the perception of sound using the ears, while listening is based upon giving attention to the sound being perceived. Additionally, because these concepts are different, there are also several different ways of improving hearing and listening. Thus, there are several differences between these two concepts, and it is important to signify these differences in order to practice effective communication.