Deaf culture - do's and don'ts, etc. Let's make a list!

jillio said:
Good questions. I was wondering what the "crab theory" was, as well. I'm hoping it doesn't have anything to do with running sideways....I have enough trouble running in a straight line. Now, the pinching idea...........depending upon whom I was chasing, that might be feasable. LOL.
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An educated person like you don't know what the meaning of the "crab theory" is about? Now that is truly :jaw: !

The "crab theory" came about when you put a bunch of crabs in a bucket. Eventually one crab will start to climb up the side of the bucket and the other crabs would pull that particular crab back down to their level.

The Deaf community likes everyone to be their equal, not highly successful, educated, etc.
 
Banjo said:
Basically, the crab theory is based on crabs in a bucket. If a crab tries to leave the bucket, the other crabs will pull the crab back into the bucket.
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Thanks, Tousi and Banjo. Even an old dog can be taught new terms. I wish I'd known that great analogy when teaching. There were always a few louts in every class who never wanted others to ask questions and create "more work," aka "learning."

Always a few crabs wanting company at the bottom of the bucket in every walk of life, isn't there?
 
I just wish instead of pulling them back down to your level - lift them up to help them reach the top, then in turn that person will (hopefully) help the next person out whilst the others below are supporting them, so then it becomes a chain reaction that everyone is eventually out of the bucket. But sadly there is always going to be that person that will always drag you down.

Banjo, thanks for explaining the crab theory, I was curious as well when I read the post.
 
Banjo said:
Basically, the crab theory is based on crabs in a bucket. If a crab tries to leave the bucket, the other crabs will pull the crab back into the bucket.

Now... apply that theory from a deaf perspective. You get the idea.
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I am the crab who will continue kicking the other crabs until I am free from the bucket. LOL!
 
I have noticed if a deaf person sucess with something, more deaf people will try to archieve the same. This can perhaps sometimes be mistaken for the crab theory, especially if a deaf person feels threated by a sudden contest by other deaf people, once he/she archieves something?

Though I belive that this, and crab theory and other social theories are worldwide and exists everywhere you find a human beeing. Attaching the crab theory to the deaf community is a classic example of trying to define this community and find the difference between "us" and "them" to me, rather than something unique for the deaf community, in my opnion.
 
I have a friend who is hearing and African American. We talked about Barack Obama and she said in the US some (hearing) African Americans use crab theory but they don't call it this (before we talk she didn't know the word "crab theory"). Her guess is every group has some people with crab theory and probably she is right.

Dixie said:
I just wish instead of pulling them back down to your level - lift them up to help them reach the top, then in turn that person will (hopefully) help the next person out whilst the others below are supporting them, so then it becomes a chain reaction that everyone is eventually out of the bucket.
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:gpost:
 
Byrdie714 said:
An educated person like you don't know what the meaning of the "crab theory" is about? Now that is truly :jaw: !

The "crab theory" came about when you put a bunch of crabs in a bucket. Eventually one crab will start to climb up the side of the bucket and the other crabs would pull that particular crab back down to their level.

The Deaf community likes everyone to be their equal, not highly successful, educated, etc.[/QUOTE]

If you will check my post #232, you will discover that I am quite familiar with the theory. It applies not just to deaf culture, but is an often studied concept in cross cultural social psychology. Obviously, you are incapable of seeing sarcasm when it jumps up and bites you.:giggle:

The bolded comment implies that you assume that the entire deaf community is unsucessful and uneducated. Are you attempting to be offensive, or do you just not know any better?
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Kaitin said:
I have a friend who is hearing and African American. We talked about Barack Obama and she said in the US some (hearing) African Americans use crab theory but they don't call it this (before we talk she didn't know the word "crab theory"). Her guess is every group has some people with crab theory and probably she is right.



:gpost:
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The proper term is downward revision. Crab Theory is a slang term to describe the metaphor. Actually, references to this theory can be found in many cultures. References have been found to go as far back as the early 1900's and probably earlier if one cares to check. It is an old concept applied to deaf culture, in this instance.
 
Here's a dont, I think, or am I the only one who gets pee'd off when people find out that there are multiple different sign languages and then, looking horrified, say "There should just be one, they don't need all the different ones. It's stoopid"?
 
InnocentOdion said:
Here's a dont, I think, or am I the only one who gets pee'd off when people find out that there are multiple different sign languages and then, looking horrified, say "There should just be one, they don't need all the different ones. It's stoopid"?
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I just roll my eyes at this one. I often point out that we have different sign languages for much the same reason we have different sign languages.

I haven't forgotten the time I had an argument with a linguist over why BSL is not the same as ASL and why neither language are the same as English. Even showing him the BSL and ASL abc system didn't faze him. He's like ASL is like BSL because American English is close to English. *tearing out my hair*
 
InnocentOdion said:
Here's a dont, I think, or am I the only one who gets pee'd off when people find out that there are multiple different sign languages and then, looking horrified, say "There should just be one, they don't need all the different ones. It's stoopid"?
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A person told me this also - and she is a French major! Why one sign language but many, many spoken languages? Weird thinking to me.
 
jillio said:
Byrdie714 said:
An educated person like you don't know what the meaning of the "crab theory" is about? Now that is truly :jaw: !

The "crab theory" came about when you put a bunch of crabs in a bucket. Eventually one crab will start to climb up the side of the bucket and the other crabs would pull that particular crab back down to their level.

The Deaf community likes everyone to be their equal, not highly successful, educated, etc.[/QUOTE]

If you will check my post #232, you will discover that I am quite familiar with the theory. It applies not just to deaf culture, but is an often studied concept in cross cultural social psychology. Obviously, you are incapable of seeing sarcasm when it jumps up and bites you.:giggle:

The bolded comment implies that you assume that the entire deaf community is unsucessful and uneducated. Are you attempting to be offensive, or do you just not know any better?
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;)

I love being a pain-in-the-a**.
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Byrdie714 said:
jillio said:
And you can't note sarcasm in my posts either....:lol:
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There is a difference between sarcastic and offensive. It's obvious that you don't know what it is. Care to answer Tousi's question? Or will you avoid it just like you have avoided all other questions that put you on the line?

You are becoming a shining example of one of the "don'ts" in the topic.
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jillio said:
Byrdie714 said:
There is a difference between sarcastic and offensive. It's obvious that you don't know what it is. Care to answer Tousi's question? Or will you avoid it just like you have avoided all other questions that put you on the line?

You are becoming a shining example of one of the "don'ts" in the topic.
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Tousi's post was a statement not a question. There was no question mark.

Also moderators have stated that if you feel that it is a personal attack on you, DON'T RESPONSE.

You respond.

I reply.

Simple as that.

http://www.alldeaf.com/general-chat/47867-attention-personal-attacks-not-tolerated.html

Sorry if my ideas don't jive with yours. :afro:
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