Deaf Culture Essay

Everybody faces challenges and uncertainties and a daily basis. Fortunately, for hearing people their troubles can be trivial. For those who are in the Deaf and hard of hearing culture, however, challenges and uncertainties are not relatively trivial. Over the past several years, the Deaf community has been enterprising for culture awareness. Historically, the media have played an important role in the portrayal of deaf individuals. “Switched at Birth” is a television show that has helped shed some light on the Deaf culture. "Switched at Birth" has tackled many autistic beliefs toward Deaf people that are false and ignorant such as them not being able to drive, raise kids, and have jobs.

Nancy Rourke, the painter of Deaf Culture: Unity of Global Signing, was born deaf and grew up in a world of oralism (Northen, Spindel). Oralism is when someone teaches a deaf person how to read lips and talk instead of teaching them to sign (Oralism). Rourke’s parents did not know she was deaf until she was about six years old but quit in 1986 to become a graphic designer. Twenty years later she was laid off and decided to begin painting again and took a couple of workshops to help prepare for the transition in her life. Her life transition did not begin until 2010 when she became involved in Deaf View / Image Art (De’VIA) and she began painting about her own experiences in the world of oralism (Rourke). Her painting, Deaf Culture: Unity of Global Signing, creates an image of problems within the deaf community

Inside deaf culture is a very strong book written by carol Padden and tom Humphries in this book authors have tried to give a tour of the most important moments that has shaped the Deaf culture.

For a Deaf Son is a documentary about Thomas Thranchin, who was born deaf to hearing family. His father, a filmmaker, produced this documentary to offer an intimate look at how parents of a deaf child make decisions. The documentary is compiled together with interviews from audiologist, families of children with hearing loss, other expert in the field, as well as home videos of Thomas. Thomas was discovered to be profoundly deaf at the age of one and could only hear high frequency sound. This meant that with hearing aids on him, he could acquire speech and language with therapy. The other discussion that Thomas’ parent had to make is whether to educate their son in sign language versus strictly verbal speech. Both Thomas’ parents have different opinions on teaching him ways to communicate. The beginning of the movie, his parents had decided to enroll Thomas in hearing school so that he could learn to communicate with the hearing world that his family lived in. His mother also thought that by enrolling him in a teaching based classroom supported by sign would be an easier route for Thomas considering that he was deaf. Thomas’ father had then begun his research to figure out ways to unlock Thomas’ speech capacities and the outcome of those choices. The documentary

The novel of Laurent Clerc: The story of his early years is about how Laurent Clerc the “Apostle to the Deaf in the New World”(Carroll 171) became educated and led to the creation of a school for the deaf in America. Laurent was born to a wealthy family in La Balme, France. He was grew up during the French Revolution, while the Directory was in charge. His parents throughout his young life tried to cure him of his deafness by having many doctors examine him and do painful procedures with no success. Eventually his parents sent him away to The Royal National Institute for the Deaf in Paris, or St. Jacques. There Clerc was taught to sign by Jean Massieu. Clerc along with the other students were also unwilling subjects in Dr. Itard’s experiments,

In a hearing culture, a person undoubtedly thinks of the word literature as meaning a written form of storytelling. However, in Deaf culture the word “literature” may also refer to Deaf literature or ASL literature. Although both Deaf and ASL literature use similar structure they are different from one another. Deaf literature is written stories, poems or songs that include Deaf characters or Deaf experiences utilizing a Deaf perspective, ASL literature involves visual movement and just like when a person reads a book compared to seeing the movie it may be similar yet, it is different.

Through the deaf eyes is a film about what is like to be deaf; it also tells us about the history, as well as challenges deaf culture has faced. It speaks about Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc the creators of the first school for the deaf, also deaf clubs, and people today who have changed perspectives of the deaf community. Gallaudet University was the first environment where deaf community can come together and begin their history and culture teaching deaf children how to speak would benefit them more in the future; however that was not the case, and many thought it was a waste out time as they got older. They feel that they should have focused on sign language, so that they can learn more instead of spending years on learn to

While reading Deaf Again, I couldn’t help from thinking, how I would have treated Mark through elementary school and high school. I was amazed when he said that he was so used to reading people’s lips and didn’t even notice he was deaf. I know that when I try to read people’s lips without hearing their voice it is very hard. It’s crazy how we take advantage of sound in our everyday lives as human beings. I know that I could not imagine not having the ability to hear sounds of the world. Anywhere from the birds in the morning to the leaves rustling and music all day long. In the book, it said that they don’t really care, because they have never known any different. There are times when the world is so much different through the eyes of others, then you thought. This can change your view of the world,

Throughout the documentary film Through Deaf Eyes, I felt amazed by deaf culture. The deaf culture is a versatile, rich, and unique community that more people need to be aware of. When the film was covering the transition of ASL schools to oral only I mostly felt ashamed of my own culture. Someone as Alexander Graham Bell, who is naturally considered one of the greatest inventors in the hearing world, believed that the language used by the deaf community was not a language. The hearing world is the most dominant one, there is no doubt. However, there has to be an understanding that not everyone who is different from the “typical” is “atypical”. A language is nothing but patterns of signs, symbols, and/or sounds that are used to convey meaning. In what manner does sign language not fit the category of a language?

In the essay, “Deafness/Disability - problematising notions of identity, culture and structure, Mairian Corker focuses on the tension between Deaf and disabled people. As Corker analyzes the division between Deaf and disabled people she reflects on Margaret Archer’s views. Corker explains that Margaret Archer viewed “ the structural (‘parts’) and cultural (‘people’) domains are substantively different, as well as being relatively autonomous from each other” (Corker 2002). Throughout her essay Corker talks about the different theories in Deaf studies and disability studies to explain the same issues. These issues include identity, culture,

Deaf children with Deaf parents usually develop a strong sense of self and know who they are. While many Deaf children with hearing parents grow up and have resentment for their parents and professionals. They usually they feel as if they weren’t exposed into the deaf world enough. Both parents face considerable challenges in raising their children. They face their children being “educated below their capacity, employed below their capability and viewed negatively in the hearing world because they are deaf” (28). As well as the challenge of many professionals encouraging put in hearing aids, making their child “hearing impaired”. Hearing parents are usually unsure of what to do, and end up following the path the professionals recommend. The book really helps emphasize the importance of not doing that. Instead, exposing a the child into the Deaf community would be the best option. They’ll be welcomed with wide arms, and it will help them feel most true to themselves. It doesn’t require any special measures to change them.

Individuals, who suffer from any type of disabilities, sadly live a different life due the societal stigma attached to it. The film When Billy Broke His Head and the reading Deaf Matters Compulsory Hearing and Ability Trouble both illustrate the hardships and struggles disabled individuals go through as a result of stereotypical misconceptions created by the media and the larger society. Firstly, exemplified in the media through a portrayal of disheartened characteristics like constant anger and bitterness about life, a misconception of an unapproachable individual starts to become produced. Through a continuous loop of negative illustrations of disability, an unawareness and lack of knowledge about certain disabilities, a stigma of this unfamiliar

For my book report I decided to choose the book Deaf Like Me written by Thomas and James Spradley, copy write by Gallaudet University Press in 1987. I was beyond pleased with my choice of book and reading it has been a great experience. I would recommend this book to anyone and believe that they would have the same experience that I did.

This case study suggests when the child gains their self-confidence, the other children are more likely to accept them. Therefore, if the patient is comfortable with the implant and is not self-conscious about it, then the other children will not be as bothered by it. The deaf culture is a set of social beliefs, values, history, behaviors, and shared institutions of communities that are influenced by deafness. The main use of communication for the deaf is American Sign Language. The deaf culture is against cochlear implants because they believe that if every deaf person gets a cochlear implant then their culture as a whole will be gone. Sparrow explains, “According to the testimony of many individuals who are members of Deaf culture, it is perfectly possible to lead a happy and productive life without hearing or spoken language” (137). The deaf culture believes that deaf people do not need cochlear implants to fit into society. They believe that deafness is not a disease and does not need to be fixed. With a cochlear implant, it is not used to fix the deafness, it is used to help with the person to give them more of a normal life and to help them have the ability to fit into society

The Joy Luck Club is what will be our example for the topic Cultural Encounter, which is caused by the differences of cultures. Therefore, communication development is based on sharing thoughts, which leads to an argument that ends either with agreements or disagreements. There are many aspects in an individual that affects the course of this action, and culture is one of them; which I will focus on in this article. I think that it is the most important, in my point of view.