Deaf culture inquiry?

[Melis_johnson84]

Hello, My name is Melissa Johnson. I am a senior at Brooklyn College taking an research seminar course, my research study seeks to investigate whether a Blind Culture exists that is comparative to Deaf culture? Your participation is completely voluntary and would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

1. Are you aware of the Deaf culture? What does it mean to you?

2. Is there a blind culture? Why or why not?

3. According to the American Heritage Dictionary of English, Language is defined as: 1a. Communication of thoughts and feelings through a system of arbitrary signals, such as voice sounds, gestures, or written symbols. b. Such a system including its rules for combining its components, such as words. c. Such a system as used by nation, people, or other distinct community; often contrasted with dialect. Based on this definition, is Braille a language?

4. Do you feel your deafness affects your ability to function in the hearing world?

5. Do you feel connected to the hearing world?

6. How connected do you feel to the Deaf world?

7. Do you feel more comfortable in the hearing community or the Deaf community?

 

[SxyPorkie]

Hello, My name is Melissa Johnson. I am a senior at Brooklyn College taking an research seminar course, my research study seeks to investigate whether a Blind Culture exists that is comparative to Deaf culture? Your participation is completely voluntary and would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

1. Are you aware of the Deaf culture? What does it mean to you?
YES

2. Is there a blind culture? Why or why not?
i AM SURE THERE IS ONE..

3. According to the American Heritage Dictionary of English, Language is defined as: 1a. Communication of thoughts and feelings through a system of arbitrary signals, such as voice sounds, gestures, or written symbols. b. Such a system including its rules for combining its components, such as words. c. Such a system as used by nation, people, or other distinct community; often contrasted with dialect. Based on this definition, is Braille a language?

IT IS HARD TO EXPLAIN... I WAS BORN INTO DEAF CULTURE.. MY PARENTS WERE DEAF

4. Do you feel your deafness affects your ability to function in the hearing world?
NO

5. Do you feel connected to the hearing world?
YES MOST OF TIME...

6. How connected do you feel to the Deaf world?
i WAS BORN INTO IT....MY PARENTS WERE DEAF

7. Do you feel more comfortable in the hearing community or the Deaf community?

MOST OF TIME...

 

[shel90]

Hello, My name is Melissa Johnson. I am a senior at Brooklyn College taking an research seminar course, my research study seeks to investigate whether a Blind Culture exists that is comparative to Deaf culture? Your participation is completely voluntary and would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

1. Are you aware of the Deaf culture? What does it mean to you?

Yes I am aware that there is one. It really doesnt have a deep meaning for me cuz I was raised without it but I respect Deaf culture. I dont feel culturally deaf even though I go to deaf events, socialize with deaf people, use ASL and teach at a deaf school. I dont feel that I am part of any culture..maybe Mexican culture since I grew up in AZ.

2. Is there a blind culture? Why or why not?

I am not sure...never thought about it.

3. According to the American Heritage Dictionary of English, Language is defined as: 1a. Communication of thoughts and feelings through a system of arbitrary signals, such as voice sounds, gestures, or written symbols. b. Such a system including its rules for combining its components, such as words. c. Such a system as used by nation, people, or other distinct community; often contrasted with dialect. Based on this definition, is Braille a language?

No, it is not because blind people interact with others using spoken English. Brialle is a tactile code of English just like Cued speech and SEE are visual codes of English.

4. Do you feel your deafness affects your ability to function in the hearing world?

Yes, when I cant participate fully in a large group of hearing people who are speaking so rapidly or when there is a communication breakdown between the hearing people and I due to not understanding each other's speech.

5. Do you feel connected to the hearing world?

Yes, through my family, husband and kids.

6. How connected do you feel to the Deaf world?

Very connected since most of my friends are signers, I work at a deaf school and I communicate throught ASL 95% of the time.
7. Do you feel more comfortable in the hearing community or the Deaf community?

let's say, I feel more comfortable in a signing environment. I used to hang out with this group of hearing girls who learned ASL from classes and became fluent in it. They had no deaf culture connections so how do I describe them...hearing community or Deaf community?

 

[jillio]

I feel that I am very connected to the Deaf community--by proxy because I have aDeaf son, and by choice because I have made so many friends in the community and continue to work with and advocate for deaf students.

Yes, there is a Deaf culture. It is a culture based on linguistic differences from the majority hearing culture. Language is one of the criteria for determining culure from sub-culture.

While there may very well be a blind sub-culture, it would be an association based only on shared experience of blindness, as a blind person uses the same language as the majority hearing culture.

 

[deafmama78]

Hello, My name is Melissa Johnson. I am a senior at Brooklyn College taking an research seminar course, my research study seeks to investigate whether a Blind Culture exists that is comparative to Deaf culture? Your participation is completely voluntary and would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

1. Are you aware of the Deaf culture? What does it mean to you?
Yeah.

2. Is there a blind culture? Why or why not?
To be honest, I've never thought about it....

3. According to the American Heritage Dictionary of English, Language is defined as: 1a. Communication of thoughts and feelings through a system of arbitrary signals, such as voice sounds, gestures, or written symbols. b. Such a system including its rules for combining its components, such as words. c. Such a system as used by nation, people, or other distinct community; often contrasted with dialect. Based on this definition, is Braille a language?
Read what Shel90 said, as I totally agree.

4. Do you feel your deafness affects your ability to function in the hearing world?
Not really, but I mean, it honestly does get hard & frusturating once in awhile when trying to communicate with people who speak fast & trying to understand everything that's being said when in a large group!

5. Do you feel connected to the hearing world?
Yeah 'cause I come from a hearing family, being the only Deaf one & I now have a hearing husband & two hearing children.

6. How connected do you feel to the Deaf world?
Yeah, especially when I'm with my Deaf friends or at Deaf social events.

7. Do you feel more comfortable in the hearing community or the Deaf community?

Both. I feel best when I am in an environment where I can understand everyone, doesn't matter if we're speaking or signing or both.