Audism

[deafskeptic]

That's an interesting concept: A deaf person who is an audist. It's like a person who is racist against his/her own race.

I've never heard of the term audism before coming on AllDeaf (AD). I'm a deaf/hoh person who was bought up in the hearing world with no exposure to the Deaf world. Every day I'm made aware that my ears don't function as well as the ears of the hearing people around me.

What I hadn't realised until coming here is that subconsciously I've absorbed the sense that I don't function as well as a human being because my ears don't function as well. Because people laugh at my hearing mistakes. Because they cannot be bothered to make adjustments to include me. Because I'm the one who has to make adjustments like wear uncomfortable hearing aids. Because I've been told that my life would be better if I could hear like them. I grew up believing that I was a defective human being (though nobody said it explicitly, it was implicit in their daily behaviour).

And I couldn't see this lie because it was disguised by a truth - my life would be better in some ways if I could hear like them. But the reason why my life would be better is because I wouldn't suffer from audism anymore. It's like telling a black person that their life will be better if they were born white so they won't suffer from racism.

So until I came to AD, I too was a deaf audist. But it wasn't intentional. And I would have never said that deaf people are inferior. In fact I would have said we are just as valuable as hearing people. But I see now that my silent beliefs and attitudes about my deafness contradicted my verbal declarations. I'm now learning to shake off the audism mindset I unwittingly absorbed from the hearing world.

Oh, your kind never stay audist.

I had in mind, one deaf man or as he prefer to be called HoH, who seems to be waging a one man war against the deaf culture.

He even has a deaf children can talk button which seems to be meant to tick off those who are anti oral off. Well, the deaf community is not anti-speech. Just anti oral.

I also can think of a couple of examples along with the HOH man who's waging his war vs the deaf culture as well. Both are post lingual.

 

[sallylou]

Minority groups internalize a culture's oppression. Have you ever seen the study in which a little black girl picks out the white doll as "best?" A deaf person can still consider hearing as "best." Some ADers fit the profile, as several people have already pointed out.

 

[Speedy Hawk]

I wouldn't be surprised if every deaf person has a family member or two who are audist. I definitely got a few in my family!

Same here too. Far too many.

 

[flip]

Minority groups internalize a culture's oppression. Have you ever seen the study in which a little black girl picks out the white doll as "best?" A deaf person can still consider hearing as "best." Some ADers fit the profile, as several people have already pointed out.

Some of those who fights audism, seems to actually struggle with the audist within themselves. Instead of acknowledging their own fear of deafness, they project it onto other people. The hard part is to explain this to them.

 

[posts from hell]

Oh, your kind never stay audist.

I had in mind, one deaf man or as he prefer to be called HoH, who seems to be waging a one man war against the deaf culture.

He even has a deaf children can talk button which seems to be meant to tick off those who are anti oral off. Well, the deaf community is not anti-speech. Just anti oral.

I also can think of a couple of examples along with the HOH man who's waging his war vs the deaf culture as well. Both are post lingual.

Oh he was not as bad as RR

 

[jillio]

Ah I understand . They are not audist because they supporting me. They believe that I can do what Hearing can do. I was in play with all hearing actors. I am only deaf in hearing play and we did great!

I am glad to hear that, Joey.

 

[jillio]

Minority groups internalize a culture's oppression. Have you ever seen the study in which a little black girl picks out the white doll as "best?" A deaf person can still consider hearing as "best." Some ADers fit the profile, as several people have already pointed out.

Very familiar with that study. Interesting commentary that can be applied cross culturally.

 

[jillio]

I'm not trying to be a smart ass or apear argumentative, but it's not?

I honestly thought that descrimination AND oppression.....

Oh wait! I think I follow you're thinking... It's not the definition of audism, but the OUTCOME of it. :idea:

Exactly. Something precedes the action and the outcome.

 

[jillio]

That's an interesting concept: A deaf person who is an audist. It's like a person who is racist against his/her own race.

I've never heard of the term audism before coming on AllDeaf (AD). I'm a deaf/hoh person who was bought up in the hearing world with no exposure to the Deaf world. Every day I'm made aware that my ears don't function as well as the ears of the hearing people around me.

What I hadn't realised until coming here is that subconsciously I've absorbed the sense that I don't function as well as a human being because my ears don't function as well. Because people laugh at my hearing mistakes. Because they cannot be bothered to make adjustments to include me. Because I'm the one who has to make adjustments like wear uncomfortable hearing aids. Because I've been told that my life would be better if I could hear like them. I grew up believing that I was a defective human being (though nobody said it explicitly, it was implicit in their daily behaviour).

And I couldn't see this lie because it was disguised by a truth - my life would be better in some ways if I could hear like them. But the reason why my life would be better is because I wouldn't suffer from audism anymore. It's like telling a black person that their life will be better if they were born white so they won't suffer from racism.

So until I came to AD, I too was a deaf audist. But it wasn't intentional. And I would have never said that deaf people are inferior. In fact I would have said we are just as valuable as hearing people. But I see now that my silent beliefs and attitudes about my deafness contradicted my verbal declarations. I'm now learning to shake off the audism mindset I unwittingly absorbed from the hearing world.

Very insightful. You have made the first step in recognizing the audism in your own attitudes. Unfortunately, there are many that never see those things in their own behaviors, claiming "I can't be an audist...I'm deaf!" Or "I can't be an audist, I have a deaf child!" You are far ahead of this type.

Enjoy your journey of self discovery. We are all here to support you!

 

[AJWSmith]

Very insightful. You have made the first step in recognizing the audism in your own attitudes. Unfortunately, there are many that never see those things in their own behaviors, claiming "I can't be an audist...I'm deaf!" Or "I can't be an audist, I have a deaf child!" You are far ahead of this type.

Enjoy your journey of self discovery. We are all here to support you!

Thank you jillio I have felt very welcomed and supported here on AD

 

[GrendelQ]

Audism is a non-acceptance of Deaf having their own Culture and Language. That if you don't adapt to Hearing (with aid of HA, CI or by being oral), you get treated as inferior or with disgust, like a 'broken toy'.

So, let's say your child is deaf. Maybe no aids, maybe with HAs or CIs.

Because your child is deaf, a neighbor won't allow your child on his baseball team or in his club, won't permit his child to date your child, and later, he won't hire your qualified child.

But by your definition, that's not audism, because he fully approves of your child attending a Deaf school, using sign-only, interacting within Deaf society and not adapting to Hearing conventions.

 

[posts from hell]

So, let's say your child is deaf. Maybe no aids, maybe with HAs or CIs.

Because your child is deaf, a neighbor won't allow your child on his baseball team or in his club, won't permit his child to date your child, and later, he won't hire your qualified child.

But by your definition, that's not audism, because he fully approves of your child attending a Deaf school, using sign-only, interacting within Deaf society and not adapting to Hearing conventions.

wrong.

 

[GrendelQ]

wrong.

Of course it's wrong.

It's also audism, even if the person complies with all the requirements of Beclak's description by accepting the validity of Deaf culture and language.

Audism: The notion that one is superior based on one’s ability to hear or behave in the manner of one who hears.
--Tom Humphries

 

[posts from hell]

Of course it's wrong.

It's also audism, even if the person complies with all the requirements of Beclak's description by accepting the validity of Deaf culture and language.

And your goal here is to?

 

[GrendelQ]

@aysha02 Here's one example where I saw a sharp contrast in approach:

My child and her best friend both take gymnastics. Both deaf, different gyms/teachers.

In one of my daughter's classes, the instructor is a former Armenian Olympic champion who barks out commands alternating between Armenian, Russian, and English with a strong Armenian accent. The girls are from China, Russia, Ukraine, VietNam, Korea -- a mix. The instructor repeats commands across the languages, demonstrating the actions if my daughter doesn't understand and stands there confused. Brusque, yes, but no impatience. No child is considered inferior based on an inability to communicate in some lingua franca that doesn't exist for these kids. My child is not considered inferior as gymnast or person because of her deafness. It's not a factor. No audism.

Her best friend's instructor would call out commands. If the little girl didn't follow, she was allowed to stand at the side -- the instructor didn't feel it was important to 'hold up the other kids so she can catch up.' She slowly fell more and more behind, after class was given separate, easy exercises to do, was increasingly not included. All in a "nice" way. And she lost all interest in gymnastics, which she had loved. Audism, reinforced with every one of those kids and their parents who watched.

______________

And another:

A group of people attending an event, I've got an in-my-home babysitter -- a friend -- lined up for my daughter, someone else is stuck without child care. I offer a sleepover at my house. All is good until the 11th hour, when this couple realizes the babysitter, an adult teacher of small children, no less, is deaf. They suddenly opt instead to have a neighbor's 15YO watch their children. Audism.

(PS. guess which one of us found an empty beer bottle behind the couch)

 

[flip]

And your goal here is to?

I came to think about the low/high context thread by Berry. Now, this is new to me, so feel free to correct me.

The reply from GrendelQ to BecLak was an example of a low context reaction to a high context claim. Though it's possible to spot the biases and the motivation in the reply from GrendelQ, especially to high context thinkers and those who have been here for a while, it's supposed to be pure logic and a sign of good thinking, according to low context thinkers.

The result, is that the reply from GrendelQ looks little more than a waste of time with logic to high context thinkers. She also use her low context thinking to put down high context arguments, without contributing with anything obvious. This adds to the aura of audism that follows GrendelQ, against her will.

 

[jillio]

I came to think about the low/high context thread by Berry. Now, this is new to me, so feel free to correct me.

The reply from GrendelQ to BecLak was an example of a low context reaction to a high context claim. Though it's possible to spot the biases and the motivation in the reply from GrendelQ, especially to high context thinkers and those who have been here for a while, it's supposed to be pure logic and a sign of good thinking, according to low context thinkers.

The result, is that the reply from GrendelQ looks little more than a waste of time with logic to high context thinkers. She also use her low context thinking to put down high context arguments, without contributing with anything obvious. This adds to the aura of audism that follows GrendelQ, against her will.

Excellent example of fluid thinking.

 

[jillio]

Of course it's wrong.

It's also audism, even if the person complies with all the requirements of Beclak's description by accepting the validity of Deaf culture and language.

In accepting the validity of Deaf Culture and language, one also accepts the individual belonging to that culture and using that language. That is the part you are leaving out.

 

[GrendelQ]

I came to think about the low/high context thread by Berry. Now, this is new to me, so feel free to correct me.

The reply from GrendelQ to BecLak was an example of a low context reaction to a high context claim. Though it's possible to spot the biases and the motivation in the reply from GrendelQ, especially to high context thinkers and those who have been here for a while, it's supposed to be pure logic and a sign of good thinking, according to low context thinkers.

The result, is that the reply from GrendelQ looks little more than a waste of time with logic to high context thinkers. She also use her low context thinking to put down high context arguments, without contributing with anything obvious. This adds to the aura of audism that follows GrendelQ, against her will.

There's an aura of audism following me?

You keep using those high/low context terms, but I do not think they mean what you think they mean. I've worked in many countries, I've seen endless a string of questionable presentations over the years analyzing the different cultures (Japan, Iraq as high context, US, UK, Norway as low context) and different industries (human resources and marketing as high context, while finance, engineering, sciences are low and so on). But never came across Hall's concept used in quite the special way you do, wielding it as a weapon or an insult.

The OP gave his/her understanding of the definition and asked for our personal examples of where we had perceived audism. Several people have offered different interpretations of the definition., which we've been discussing. Not "putting down." Is your goal to have one authoritative response followed by 50 "likes" rather than a discussion of how we each experience the concept of audism?

Here's my bias: I see audism as a potential danger to my daughter's well-being and happiness. Most hearing people who would participate in audist behaviors don't even know there is such a thing as deaf culture, cochlear implants, or even ASL. They are discriminating because they think that a deaf person is inferior -- not because of a cultural or language choice -- but because they can't physically hear. That misperception needs to be countered. I also see those in the deaf community who oppress other deaf based on their level of hearing or language choice. That, too, needs to be countered.

 

[jillio]

There's an aura of audism following me?

You keep using those high/low context terms, but I do not think they mean what you think they mean. I've worked in many countries, I've seen endless a string of questionable presentations over the years analyzing the different cultures (Japan, Iraq as high context, US, UK, Norway as low context) and different industries (human resources and marketing as high context, while finance, engineering, sciences are low and so on). But never came across Hall's concept used in quite the special way you do, wielding it as a weapon or an insult.

The OP gave his/her understanding of the definition and asked for our personal examples of where we had perceived audism. Several people have offered different interpretations of the definition., which we've been discussing. Not "putting down." Is your goal to have one authoritative response followed by 50 "likes" rather than a discussion of how we each experience the concept of audism?

Here's my bias: I see audism as a potential danger to my daughter's well-being and happiness. Most hearing people who would participate in audist behaviors don't even know there is such a thing as deaf culture, cochlear implants, or even ASL. They are discriminating because they think that a deaf person is inferior -- not because of a cultural or language choice -- but because they can't physically hear. That misperception needs to be countered. I also see those in the deaf community who oppress other deaf based on their level of hearing or language choice. That, too, needs to be countered.

That is where you are making your mistake in your definition. Audism is not that simple. Even the deaf, who are aware of all of the above, can be audist in their thinking.