The Deaf Community and Its Culture

1558 Words4 Pages

During registration last semester, when I decided to take this course to see if I wanted to continue onward with ASL as my minor, I was not sure what to expect. Through my brief introduction of Deaf culture during my first sign language courses, I knew some vague details about historical events. Gallaudet had been mentioned several times within not only my workbook, but also by my professor. I could have given you a short synopsis of the oral movement that threatened to wipe ASL out as a language. Though I knew these facts, and a few traits about Deaf culture that I had experienced firsthand, there was so much that I had not considered before the readings and journals for this course opened my eyes.
The Deaf community is a group that is made up of many different people, who all have different backgrounds both culturally and linguistically. Every single person in the Deaf community is unique, yet they share a common quality that brings them together. These people understand what it feels like to be labeled differently from the “norm” of society, to be discriminated against or misunderstood, sometimes even by their own families. Deaf people share a pride in the culture they share. This pride is something everyone could afford to learn from, as the Deaf community prides itself on its beautiful and expressive language, as well as the accomplishments of its members. This linguistic minority group is one that has bonded together over the physical difference that separates them from normal people, and that is their varying levels of hearing loss. “The traditional view of deaf people focuses only on what is not there” (TKH p.1) this quote from our textbook is a brief synopsis of how most of the hearing world views those who ca...

... middle of paper ...

...class. I have learned not only about the history of Deaf culture in America, but also about ASL, the cultural norms, and the variety of different personal experiences people have faced. I may not be Deaf, or the best signer, but as a learner I can see why this community takes such pride in its culture and I hope that ASL continues to grow and spread as a language, so that Deaf people can gain an identity in this linguistic minority and have the support they need to feel good about themselves. Deaf culture is a vast and important part of American culture as a whole. It is these differences that make this country so diverse. I hope one day that everyone will learn at least the basics of Deaf culture and come to understand that deafness is not a disability, merely a difference in terms of communication and an entry into one of the most vibrant cultures of society.

Show More
Related

  • Analysis of Mark Drolsbough´s Deaf Again

    787 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the autobiography Deaf Again, Mark Drolsbaugh writes about his life being born hearing, growing up hard of hearing, to eventually becoming deaf. By writing this book, he helps many people view from his perspective on what it is like for someone to struggle trying to fit in the hearing society. Through his early years, his eyes were closed to the deaf world, being only taught how to live in a hearing world. Not only does the book cover his personal involvement, but it covers some important moments in deaf history. It really is eye-opening because instead of just learning about deaf culture and deaf history, someone who lived through it is actually explaining their experiences.

    Read More

  • Deaf Again by Mark Drolsbaugh

    1466 Words  | 3 Pages

    I learned a lot about Deaf people, ASL, and/or Deaf Culture after reading this book. Deaf people are normal just like anybody else and they should not be treated any differently. Some people treat Deafness as a disease that needs to be cured, but it's not. If a parent comes to learn that their child is deaf they react very crazily and act like their child is dying and that deafness is some fatal disease. Deaf people should be treated just like anyone else and no differently. They are not disabled and can do great things in this world.

    Read More

  • For Hearing People Only: Chapters 71-131 Book Reaction

    1666 Words  | 4 Pages

    In my family, I have a close cousin who is Deaf, and I know that many of my family members have questions about Deaf culture but are too afraid to ask. I felt the same way, which was a main reason I decided to take the ASL class. The class not only opened my mind to the study of American Sign Language, but also how Deaf culture is used in our society. This book has helped me learn a lot, from ways to respect Deaf people and to understand them, which is why I have advised my family to give the book a look as well. I definitely agree with points this book makes, because nearly all of them relate to today’s society and the world that we live in right now. Although, occasionally, some points were a bit confusing and took me off-guard, I performed some critical thinking on it and made a list of those I didn’t quite understand or agree with.

    Read More

  • Deaf World Sparknotes

    1296 Words  | 3 Pages

    The narrator begins this chapter by introducing himself as well as his colleagues and co-authors. Ben Bahan, the narrator, is a deaf man from New Jersey whom was raised by deaf parents and a hearing sister. After spending an immense amount of time studying American Sign Language (ASL) he moved on to now become an assistant professor at Gallaudet University in the Deaf studies Department. His colleague Harlan Lane, a hearing man, is a specialist in the psychology of language and having many titles is a key aspect of this book as he believes, as does most of the Deaf-World, that they are a minority language and takes up their point of view to the hearing world. Lastly Bob Hoffmeister is a

    Read More

  • An Analysis Of Deaf Again By Mark Drolsbaugh

    1384 Words  | 3 Pages

    While reading Mark Drolsbaugh’s Deaf Again where he wrote about his experiences with becoming postlingually deaf, I realized that I was able to relate to some of the situations he encountered, especially when he spoke of his frustrating childhood due to his disability. As he grew older, he needed to find new ways to cope with and accept his deafness. Because of his unique viewpoint with deaf parents who were not allowed to sign around him, the book gave readers a different perspective to look at deafness with. Drolsbaugh’s personal account of his life was inspirational as he grew up with a truly exceptional situation, yet was able to overcome his obstacles and become successful after he quit denying who he really was.

    Read More

  • Ben Jarashow Journey Into The Deaf World Analysis

    505 Words  | 2 Pages

    While the benefits for the hearing are great, there are better benefits for those who are Deaf. Jarashow stated that it was essentially frowned upon if a Deaf child was using sign instead of trying to use what ability they had to hear. This seems counterproductive and if they emphasized more on teaching Deaf children ASL, there would be better outcomes for them in the future. Instead of focusing on trying to make everyone the same, they should focus on giving these children the best opportunity possible despite their

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Marika Kovac-Houlihan's Deaf Ideology

    1137 Words  | 3 Pages

    Marika Kovac-Houlihan’s TED Talk hurt me. Hearing her stories first hand truly reveals the discrimination Deaf people face. It’s an easy to listen and understand the definition of discrimination but to experience it or witness is different. Kovac-Houlihan’s intention was for the audience to be stunned by her experiences, I imagine most of those people feel the same way I currently do. Her understanding was that most hearing people see Deaf people as disable or inferior, not every hearing person thinks that way, but most do. Kovac-Houlihan believes hearing people’s assumption is “that a deaf person may be isolated, uneducated or without language” (2:29 Kovac-Houlihan). I slightly disagree with her, but there are exceptions to every rule, one individual does not always impact the thoughts of the mob. I choose this video because of my reaction to Kovac-Houlihan’s primary discussion topics: the phonocentric ideology, loss of identity, and the divide between hearing and Deaf

    Read More

  • Deafness In The Book Seeing Voices, By Oliver Sacks

    1043 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the book Seeing Voices, the author describes the world of the deaf, which he explores with extreme passion. The book begins with the history of deaf people in the United States of America, the horrible ways in which they had been seen and treated, and their continuing struggle to gain hospitality in the hearing world. Seeing Voices also examines the visual language of the deaf, sign language, which is as expressive and as rich as any spoken language. This book covers a variety of topics in deaf studies, which includes sign language, the neurology of deafness, the treatment of Deaf American citizens in history, and the linguistic and social challenges that the deaf community face. In this book, Oliver Sacks does not view the deaf as people having a condition that can be treated, instead he sees the deaf more like a racial group. This book is divided into three parts. In the first part, Oliver Sacks states a strong case for sign language, saying it is in fact a complete language and that it is as comprehensive as English, French, Chinese, and any other spoken language. He also describes the unhappy story of oralism (this is the education of deaf students through oral language by using lip reading, speech, and mimicking the mouth shapes and breathing patterns of speech)) in deaf children’s education. In addition, the first part is about the history of deaf people as well as information about deafness. It also includes the author’s own introduction to the world of the deaf.

    Read More

  • Is Deafness a Disability or a Way of Living?

    1579 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Deafness and the Power of Signing

    3581 Words  | 8 Pages

    When the deaf Miss America spoke to a crowd of thousands about overcoming her handicap, deaf people across America were disgusted. Deafness is not a handicap, I have been told again and again. It is a cultural identity, a way of life, a choice, even (some hard-of hearing people speak of the time when they had to decide, deaf or hearing), but never a handicap, never something to be overcome. The sign for people like Miss America is the sign for hearing, with the forefinger circling up by the forehead instead of down by the mouth. She thinks she's hearing, is what it means. There is also a sign for the reverse: some hearing people get so involved in the deaf community that they think they are deaf, like the woman who pretended to be deaf and got to be in one of those real-life Saturn Commercials. She was a minor celebrity until she was found out - an investigative reporter called her house and she answered the phone. Afterward there was an outpouring of letters to DeafLife magazine from people who said they had known all along her signing was not perfect, and the sign she made up for Saturn in the commercial was not in accordance with the deep structure of American Sign Language.

    Read More

  • The Deaf Community and Deaf Culture

    1208 Words  | 3 Pages

    Van Cleve, J. V., & Crouch, B. A. (1989). A Place of Their Own: Creating the Deaf Community in America (1st ed.). Washington DC: Gallaudet University Press.

    Read More

  • Deaf Interviews and Deaf Culture

    1845 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the end, I hope you can understand about Deaf culture. You can see Deaf people have a variety opinions, educations, and those experiences. Most of the time, people thought that Deaf people is common like low level of life. This is not true. I wish, I can information more than this. I am appreciation that two of my Deaf friends are an awesome answer my questions.

    Read More

  • Reflection Of Through Deaf Eyes

    867 Words  | 2 Pages

    The documentary of “Through Deaf Eyes” has open my eyes to the deaf culture. The movie has made it “click” that deaf people are just that people and individuals like me. Deaf community has its struggles just like everyone else. They struggle with growing into who they are as a person, harmful situations, and feeling a sense of belonging. They just speak a different language like Italians and Hispanics. Communicating with a different language does not make them lesser than a hearing person. When able to learn to communicate, the deaf are able to learn and gain knowledge just like a hearing person. The only difference is they have to learn more and work harder to achieve their goals and gain knowledge, which a hearing person learns just by hearing their surroundings.

    Read More

  • Discrimination Against the Deaf Culture

    2335 Words  | 5 Pages

    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, every region, and every economic class” (Weta and Florentine films/Hott productions Inc., 2007). The deaf culture and hard of hearing have plenty of arguments and divisions with living in a hearing world without sound however, that absence will be a starting point of an identity within their culture as well as the hearing culture (Weta and Florentine films/Hott productions Inc., 2007).

    Read More

  • Deaf Culture

    1566 Words  | 4 Pages

    In mainstream American society, we tend to approach deafness as a defect. Helen Keller is alleged to have said, "Blindness cuts people off from things; deafness cuts people off from people." (rnib.org) This seems a very accurate description of what Keller's world must have been. We as hearing people tend to pity deaf people, or, if they succeed in the hearing world, admire them for overcoming a severe handicap. We tend to look at signing as an inferior substitute for "real" communication. We assume that all deaf people will try to lip-read and we applaud deaf people who use their voices to show us how far they have come from the grips of their disability. Given this climate, many hearing people are surprised, as I was at first, to learn of the existence of Deaf culture. To me deafness is not a defect but a source of connection. Imagine yourself deaf, growing up with a beautiful language, visual literature, humor, and theater. Imagine taking pride in your identity without any desire to become a member of the majority culture. For many deaf people, their community is a comforting relief from the isolation and condescension of the hearing world. However the Deaf community is far more than a support group for people who share a physical characteristic. Members of the Deaf community may have hearing levels that range from profoundly deaf to slightly hard-of-hearing. But no members of the Deaf community are "hearing impaired." Inside this community, deaf people become Deaf, proudly capitalizing their culture. Hearing people suddenly find that they are handicapped: "Deaf-impaired."

    Read More

More about The Deaf Community and Its Culture

Open Document