Professor Ann ENG 351W/Listen to the Deaf April 17, 2017 {Add a Title Page} Table of Contents Abstract……………………………………………………………… Introduction…………………………………………………………. Background…………………………………………………………. Promoting Communication Climates………………………………. Ways to Promote Deaf Culture, Communication, and Community…. Begin with the Children……………………………………… Deaf Empowerment through Weblogs……………………….. Understanding Competing Discourses……………………….. Conclusion…………………………………………………………… References…………………………………………………………… Abstract This essay looks to go in depth about the importance regarding the integration of the hearing and deaf cultures. Though both deaf and hearing people coexist within the same geographical locations, their auditory differences will tend to set them apart due to outdated social conventions and factual contrasts in certain cultural aspects. While antagonistic cultural conventions exist between almost all cultures, there appears to be a growing gap between the hearing and deaf community. There will be an in-depth analysis of the differences between communication aspects in both the hearing and the deaf community. The basic characteristics of ASL are almost completely different, for starters, which can make the transition from one to the other very difficult. However, this cannot let the communication that could exist between people cease to be simply because some difficulties can arise. There is a lot to learn from both systems of language and their specific systems of language. To further the possibilities of mutual growth, the need to integrate both communities becomes pivotal. Listening to the Deaf: Peeking into Deaf Culture Introduction For those who can have normal hearing, deafness can be considered as a sort of defect that ought to be corrected. They tend to look at those who are deaf with pity or sympathy. If they succeed in the world, people will use them as motivational props for having achieved so much while overcoming a kind of handicap. The perpetual underdog, deaf people are often treated as others by mainstream society. As Helen Keller once said: “Blindness cuts people off from things; deafness cuts people off from people.” For those who are deaf, or have some degree of deafness, there condition is more than just the perceived genetic slight people believe. Deaf culture has risen to prove the hearing community wrong about their misconceptions. This culture has developed a series of habits and traditions that join them together, like any other culture. There is a common language, for example, that is shared amongst all members of the culture. In the United States, American Sign Language, or ASL, is the language utilized by the members of the community. While there are ways of communicating in both hearing cultures and in deaf cultures there are differences in the way language is used where the concepts studied in class to evaluate those differences are beneficial to learning why respect and ethical communication is important, and to gain an appreciation for those differences. (Jay, 2011) Background There are differences in the way language is used in different cultures because culture affects the pattern of speech of a community. After all, you cannot have language without the culture, or vice versa. Still, the hearing community, nonetheless, tends to approach deaf culture and ASL, its language, as a minor form of culture. According to Jay, “Deaf culture is exactly what Carol Padden defines as a culture: a set of learned behaviors of a group of people that share a language, values, rules for behavior, and traditions” (2010) Hearing cultures use language to communicate one with another by using the spoken word alternating with listening. In contrast, deaf cultures use language to communicate with another. Deaf cultures communicate in the way of sign language. This makes the language and the culture as valid as any other. If we accept this premise, then we cannot deny that there is a lot to gain by the relationships and interaction between both cultures. In hearing and speaking cultures nonverbal communication such as body movement and facial expressions are subconscious. In deaf cultures their communication skills depends greatly on moving their bodies, hands, arms, heads, and outwardly show expressions on their faces which are both conscious decisions and efforts in order to communicate. For the hearing to approach their communication in this manner, would greatly increase their ability to control their emotional reactions. At the same time, it would become a benefit for the manner in which communication is done. If facial and body movements are forced to become conscious rather than unconscious, people would have to think about how their movements affect the message they are trying to communicate. It would bring the unspoken notions into question, and make people reconsider their current conventions of body language. At the same time, deaf culture could benefit from being exposed to the different points of views that people from hearing communities have to offer. It is not a matter of deaf people serving as a learning opportunity for the hearing, but rather, to make it a learning experience for both, as it is with any other human interaction. Promoting Communication Climates According to Hybels, & Weaver communication is there to “Help promote communication climates of caring and mutual understanding that protect the unique needs and characteristics of individual communicators.” (2007) The immersion of hearing people into deaf community should serve to aid this purpose. Though communication comes in different forms of language in different cultures, essentially one of the most important reasons for being open to the differences in the way language is used in different cultures is according to is to “Commit yourself to the courageous expression of your personal convictions in pursuit of fairness and justice” (Hybels, & Weaver, 2007) With every interaction, both people have the opportunity for growth, change and acceptance. Discrimination becomes more scarce as it allows people to get together in ways that they might not otherwise have been capable of. This is only mutually beneficial. In the end, having both cultures merge is only what should have already happened. At this point in history, we are well aware of the social nuances that affect our world. And, in a globalized society, it is ridiculous that we still have people who push others away for their perceived disabilities. To say that it is unnecessary for the merger to occur would be untrue. No differences are big enough, between cultures, to prohibit their healthy and peaceful interactions. It is only a matter of making an effort to try and push the biases and prejudices that might exist and embrace the existence of the different people. As a result, only growth and well-being can come. Ways to Promote Deaf Culture, Communication, and Community {write a brief introduction to the three sources that follow} Begin with the Children {write a summary of the Conclusion only} Culture or Disability? Examining Deaf Characters in Children's Book Illustrations. By: Golos, Debbie; Moses, Annie; Wolbers, Kimberly. Early Childhood Education Journal. Aug2012, Vol. 40 Issue 4, p239-249. 11p. Deaf Empowerment through Weblogs {write a summary of the Conclusion only} Culture and empowerment in the Deaf community: An analysis of internet weblogs. By: Hamill, Alexis C.; Stein, Catherine H. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology. Sep/Oct2011, Vol. 21 Issue 5, p388-406. Understanding Competing Discourses {write a summary of the Conclusion only} Deaf Culture and Competing Discourses in a Residential School for the Deaf: “Can Do” Versus “Can't Do”. By: O’Brien, Catherine A.; Placier, Peggy. Equity & Excellence in Education. May2015, Vol. 48 Issue 2, p320-338. Conclusion Works Cited: References Golos, D., Moses, A., & Wolbers, K. (2012, August). Culture or disability? Examining deaf characters in children's book illustrations.Early Childhood Education Journal, 40, 4. 239-249. Hamill, A. & Stein, C. (2011, Sep/Oct). Culture and empowerment in the deaf community: An analysis of internet weblogs. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 21, 5. 388-406. Hybels, S., & Weaver, R. L. (2007). Communicating affectively. (8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Jay, M. (2011). Deaf culture. Start American Sign Language: ASL American sign language. Retrieved March 24, 2017 from https://www.startasl.com/deaf-culture.html Jay, M. (2010). History of sign language. Start American Sign Language: ASL American sign language. Retrieved March 24, 2017 from https://www.startasl.com/history-of-sign-language.html O’Brien, C.A. & Placier, P. Deaf culture and competing discourses in a residential school for the Deaf: “Can Do”versus “Can't Do”. Equity & Excellence in Education, 48, 2. 320-338. Running Head: THE DEAF COMMUNITY 1 ENG 351W/Listen to the Deaf Table of Contents Abstract…………………………………………………………………………. 3 pg. Running Head: THE DEAF COMMUNITY 2 Introduction………………………………………………………………………3 Background……………………………………………………………………….4 Promoting Communication Climates……………………………………………..5 Ways to Promote Deaf Culture, Communication, and Community………………6 Begin with the Children……………………………………………………9 Deaf Empowerment through Weblogs…………………………………….9 Understanding Competing Discourses……………………………………10 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….12 References………………………………………………………………………..13 Abstract Running Head: THE DEAF COMMUNITY 3 This essay looks to go in depth about the importance regarding the integration of the hearing and deaf cultures. Though both deaf and hearing people coexist within the same geographical locations, their auditory differences will tend to set them apart due to outdated social conventions and factual contrasts in certain cultural aspects. While antagonistic cultural conventions exist between almost all cultures, there appears to be a growing gap between the hearing and deaf community. (The thesis is the most important point of your paper – which is ‘Deaf people CAN’, be sure to state this specifically somewhere in the abstract) There will be an in-depth analysis of the differences between communication aspects in both the hearing and the deaf community. The basic characteristics of ASL are almost completely different, for starters, which can make the transition from one to the other very difficult. However, this cannot let the communication that could exist between people cease to be simply because some difficulties can arise. There is a lot to learn from both systems of language and their specific systems of language. (“both systems of language” - specify the names but focus primarily on ASL) To further the possibilities of mutual growth, the need to integrate both communities becomes pivotal. Listening to the Deaf: Peeking into Deaf Culture Introduction For those who can have normal hearing, deafness can be considered as a sort of defect that ought to be corrected. They tend to look at those who are deaf with pity or sympathy. If they succeed in the world, people will use them as motivational props for having achieved so much while overcoming a kind of handicap. The perpetual underdog, deaf people are often treated as others by mainstream society. As Helen Running Head: THE DEAF COMMUNITY 4 Keller once said: “Blindness cuts people off from things; deafness cuts people off from people.” For those who are deaf, or have some degree of deafness, their condition is more than just the perceived genetic slight people believe. Deaf culture has risen to prove the hearing community wrong about their misconceptions. This culture has developed a series of habits and traditions that join them together, like any other culture. There is a common language, for example, that is shared amongst all members of the culture. In the United States, American Sign Language, or ASL, is the language utilized by the members of the community. While there are ways of communicating in both hearing cultures and in deaf cultures there are differences in the way language is used where the concepts studied in class to evaluate those differences are beneficial to learning why respect and ethical communication is important, and to gain an appreciation for those differences. Goleman, 2011) Background There are differences in the way language is used in different cultures because culture affects the pattern of speech of a community. After all, you cannot have language without the culture or vice versa. Still, the hearing community, nonetheless, tends to approach deaf culture and ASL, its language, as a minor form of culture. According to Jay, “Deaf culture is exactly what Carol Padden defines as a culture: a set of learned behaviors of a group of people that share a language, values, rules for behavior, and traditions” (Quoted in Goleman, 2010) Hearing cultures use language to communicate one with another by using the spoken word alternating with listening. In contrast, deaf cultures use language to communicate with another. Deaf cultures communicate in the way of sign language. This makes the language and the culture as valid as any other. Running Head: THE DEAF COMMUNITY If we accept this premise, then we cannot deny that there is a lot to gain by the relationships and interaction between both cultures. In hearing and speaking cultures, nonverbal communication such as body movement and facial expressions are subconscious. In deaf cultures, their communication skills depend greatly on moving their bodies, hands, arms, heads, and outwardly show expressions on their faces which are both conscious decisions and efforts in order to communicate. For the hearing to approach their communication in this manner, would greatly increase their ability to control their emotional reactions. At the same time, it would become a benefit for the manner in which communication is done. If facial and body movements are forced to become conscious rather than unconscious, people would have to think about how their movements affect the message they are trying to communicate. It would bring the unspoken notions into question, and make people reconsider their current conventions of body language. At the same time, deaf culture could benefit from being exposed to the different points of views that people from hearing communities have to offer. It is not a matter of deaf people serving as a learning opportunity for the hearing, but rather, to make it a learning experience for both, as it is with any other human interaction. Promoting Communication Climates According to Hybels, & Weaver communication is there to “Help promote communication climates of caring and mutual understanding that protect the unique needs and characteristics of individual communicators.” (2007) the immersion of hearing people into the deaf community should serve to aid this purpose. Though communication comes in different forms of language in different cultures, essentially one of the most important reasons for being open to the differences in the way language is used in different cultures is according to is to “Commit yourself to the courageous expression of your personal convictions in pursuit of fairness and justice” (Hybels, & 5 Running Head: THE DEAF COMMUNITY Weaver, 2007) With every interaction, both people have the opportunity for growth, change, and acceptance. Discrimination becomes scarcer as it allows people to get together in ways that they might not otherwise have been capable of. This is only mutually beneficial. In the end, having both cultures merge is only what should have already happened. At this point in history, we are well aware of the social nuances that affect our world. And, in a globalized society, it is ridiculous that we still have people who push others away for their perceived disabilities. To say that it is unnecessary for the merger to occur would be untrue. No differences are big enough, between cultures, to prohibit their healthy and peaceful interactions. It is only a matter of making an effort to try and push the biases and prejudices that might exist and embrace the existence of the different people. As a result, only growth and well-being can come. Ways to Promote Deaf Culture, Communication, and Community According to the national center for health statistics, approximately 35 million people in the United States population are considered deaf or hard of hearing.in addition to the issue of deaf discrimination through aspects like inadequate schooling and unfair treatment, deaf individuals in the United States continue to face discrimination in the areas of housing, employment, and education. These are according to the Cornell Employment and Disability Institute, 2008 and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Policy Development and Research, 2005.these reports have therefore clearly shown that there is need to come up with strategies which can help in addressing such discrimination and promoting the lives of the deaf people and those with the 6 Running Head: THE DEAF COMMUNITY hard hearing problem. The deaf people often face negative attitudes from hearing people during every time of their interaction. The deaf culture, community, and their communication can be promoted by addressing the negative attitudes that the hearing people hold towards them. The surgical solutions, such as the implantation of the cochlear are very risky and can adversely affect the health of the deaf person. These, therefore, means that the deaf doctors should come up with different methods of helping the deaf people other than using such strategies that can pose danger to the deaf people. Despite the general perception of a deaf problem as a medical disorder or disability, roughly half a million people in the United States view deafness primarily from a cultural framework. Rather than considering themselves disabled, they identify as members of an ethnolinguistic minority that takes pride in being Deaf. This is a key promoting factor of the deaf culture. present authors and many authors in the field of deaf research use the convention of Deaf with a capital ‘D’ to refer to issues of cultural identity among this 7 Running Head: THE DEAF COMMUNITY population, and deaf with a small’ to refer to a lack of hearing. Previous ethnographic studies have examined issues of D/deaf identity and depicted life in a Deaf community. However, existing literature about Deaf culture is largely autobiographical or anecdotal in nature. The use of the symbolic and coded information by the writers promotes enhances respect and honor to the deaf Individuals. The published accounts are therefore a testimony to elements of Deaf culture that are identified and valued by authors it is important to note that there are surprisingly few systematic studies that examine culture in the Deaf community. Research about the Deaf community may be of particular relevance to community psychology, given the discipline’s longstanding interest in empowerment for disenfranchised groups. Basically, the fundamental contributions to the study of empowerment are research that promotes a systematic understanding of the ‘stories’ or cultural narratives that marginalized groups tell about themselves as compared to narratives told about such groups by the dominant culture. Although the perspective of the Deaf community about deafness stands in stark contrast to that of the dominant culture, members of the Deaf community must negotiate their views and values within the larger dominant social narrative. 8 Running Head: THE DEAF COMMUNITY In the attempts to promote the deaf community, culture, and communication, The Internet has afforded Deaf people a new means of community connectedness and given researchers new ways of studying disenfranchised groups. Studies of weblogs can provide researchers with rich information about the experiences of the people of their concern that is not influenced by the research act itself. Weblogs or blogs consist of frequently modified web pages in which individuals make dated entries referred to as the posts. These posts are viewed and displayed in a reverse chronological order. The bloggers who are generally the Authors of blogs have been dedicated to improving the welfare of the deaf people through the constant provision of guiding information in the online deaf-related websites. The current research examined 416 posts written on eight weblogs by Deaf bloggers over a three-month period for elements of Deaf culture and evidence of empowerment as discussed in existing literature. The aim of the present research was to assess naturally occurring communication from the Deaf community for both empowerment and Deaf cultural themes in order to describe how empowerment might look and function within a particular context. The present research is among the first to use weblogs in an attempt to identify and situate 9 Running Head: THE DEAF COMMUNITY expressions of individual and community level empowerment within a larger context of Deaf culture. Research that uses a cultural model of Deafness has examined views and experiences of D/ deaf people, such as group identification in relation to self-esteem. The activism Findings suggest that in general, identifying with Deaf culture is positively associated with self-esteem and sense of agency, and facilitates activism. Currently, the majority of D/deaf people live in a hearing world created by and for hearing people. For some people, the Deaf community is the only setting in which they feel equal. Culture is defined as a system of shared values, beliefs, behaviors, and artifacts passed down through generations to function in that group’s world and interact with other members. Deaf culture has its own social norms, views, values, historical figures, art and unique forces acting on identity formation. The culture, therefore, helps to create a sense of belonging to the deaf people hence promoting their welfare. Begin with the Children 10 Running Head: THE DEAF COMMUNITY According to Golos, Moses, and Wolbers (2012), deaf children by nature are visual learners. Although children generally are interested in illustrations in picture books, d/Deaf children as visual beings may be attracted to pictures even more so. Because children begin to develop a sense of self at a young age and inaccurate messages may take years to realize and address, it is important for both d/Deaf and hearing children to see positive portrayals of Deaf characters in picture books, in addition to messages in other media and in real life. Deaf Empowerment through Weblogs According to Hamill and Stein (2011), the deaf relate research weblogs have investigated the online communities has to con that virtual communities create new relationships and a sense of belonging and membership similar to real-world communities. Although there is inequality in access to the Internet, substantial efforts continue to be made to widen citizens’ access to such information and communication technologies especially in the United States, which ranks among the top in affordable services. The Internet has become a gathering place where the D/deaf individuals, who historically faced obstacles to communication, can connect and share information and worldviews. DeafBlogLand is a network of blogs created by and for D/deaf people. Most blogs consist of posts that offer a combination of news and opinions and include text, media such as videos and photographs, hyperlinks that connect to other sites, and space for readers’ comment. The proliferation of blogs written by and for D/deaf people gained a centralized site with the development of Deaf Read (www.DeafRead.com). DeafRead is a filtered feed aggregator or program that gathers deaf-related blogs into a database where they are reviewed and posted by human moderators. DeafRead is used regularly for everyday reading and is viewed as a type of communication home base. The Internet, and particularly weblogs, allow researchers 11 Running Head: THE DEAF COMMUNITY greater access to the Deaf community. Blogs can provide information beyond the individual blogger, including community level connections between bloggers and their readers, and between bloggers themselves. Previous research suggests that marginalized groups’ use of the Internet can facilitate the sharing of information, social support, and coordination of social change efforts. Reports of online social support and sense of community for people who identify themselves as having a physical disability were found to be positively related to well-being. Understanding Competing Discourses There usually exists a competing and sometimes contradictory discourse about deafness in every society. According to O’Brien and Placier (2015), the major contradictions arise between the Deaf and the hearing staff in residential schools (like Galaudet?). Deaf Staff: Deafness as a Culture—“Can Do” The “can do” discourse of Deaf culture was illustrated in an observation of an early morning assembly in which an administrator who was Deaf told students the story of “The Little Engine That Could.” After the story, he explained how he modified the sign “can’t” by signing it backward to make a point that one has to undo the “can’t” thinking. He thus demonstrated that the sign “can” is acceptable to use in class, but the sign “can’t” is not. He restated this message in his interview: Disability is negative. It has a negative connotation to me. It puts me in a position where people feel sorry for me and what I can’t do when really I can ...It is more positive to look at what we can do, what we can have, and what we can live through 12 Running Head: THE DEAF COMMUNITY when you use cultural minority. I understand hearing people who rather use the word disability, but, really, it is negative to me. In interviews, Deaf staff members noted that they looked to this administrator as an example of what the school culture should exemplify. It’s a culture. I consider myself Deaf. I’m comfortable with hearing people and I can read lips. I’m also comfortable with Deaf people. I would equate the Deaf culture to an apple. You’ve got the skin of the apple. Oral people have a hard time getting through that skin. You have the part in the middle, the community. Some people go in and out of the culture; some are more immersed, some just walk on the edges. However, while not wanting to “discriminate against hearing people,” he was clear about his identity: “Deaf culture values are my values, and they are quite different. I consider myself as part of the community.” Hearing Staff: Deafness as a Disability—”Can’t Do”? In contrast with the Deaf staff members, the discourses of deafness among hearing staff were complex and sometimes contradictory. Some seemed to struggle with the culture-disability question during the interview. A consistent pattern across these interviews, with one exception, was a repetition of the words “they” and “can’t.” The exception was a hearing teacher who expressed a perspective close to that of the Deaf staff, because of her history in the Deaf community. Personally, I view Deaf people as a cultural minority. I understand that many people in the world view deafness as a disability, but I grew up interacting with Deaf people and never viewed it as a disability. Deaf people are able to do anything, especially with the technological advances we have 13 Running Head: THE DEAF COMMUNITY 14 seen of late, like the videophone.so I do not view deafness as a disability, I do think it is offensive to do so. Conclusion It is also critical for the deaf people to be exposed to high-quality literature. Picture books with deaf characters primarily portray pathological rather than cultural messages in both the text and illustrations. Picture books could provide both d/Deaf and hearing children with much needed culturally Deaf role models. Hearing children can also benefit from learning about a visual way of being. The more people learn about the Deaf Community and Deaf Culture, the more the general population will grow to understand and value what Deaf people have to offer rather than view them for what they appear to be lacking. References. Golos, D., Moses, A., & Wolbers, K. (2012, August). Culture or disability? Examining Deaf characters in children's book illustrations. Early Childhood Education Journal, 40, 4. 239-249. Running Head: THE DEAF COMMUNITY 15 Hamill, A. & Stein, C. (2011, Sep/Oct). Culture and empowerment in the deaf Community: An analysis of internet weblogs. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 21, 5. 388-406. Hybels, S., & Weaver, R. L. (2007). Communicating affectively. (8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Jay, M. (2011). Deaf culture. Start American Sign Language: ASL American sign Language. Retrieved March 24, 2017 from https://www.startasl.com/deaf-culture.html Jay, M. (2010). History of sign language. Start American Sign Language: ASL American Sign Language. Retrieved March 24, 2017 from https://www.startasl.com/history-of-sign-language.html O’Brien, C.A. & Placier, P. Deaf culture and competing discourses in a residential School for the Deaf: “Can Do”versus “Can't Do”. Equity & Excellence in Education, 48, 2. 320-338.
Purchase answer to see full attachment