Deafhood

Status
Not open for further replies.
I don't think there is such a sociological concept as "deafhood". Those that identify as deaf generally affiliate with the hearing community by and large, and the see their deafness as something extrinsic rather than an intrinsic part of their identity that shapes their values and their existence. That is a huge difference: Deafness comes from within; deafness comes from without.

Not sure about this explanation. I have now chosen from deep within to identify myself as deaf and different from a hearing person (or wannabe hearing person). Being deaf shapes my existence and values. It's not so much a within/without difference as a difference in language & culture. And Deafness is shaped from without by accepting the values of other Deaf people.
 
As for "Deafhood," I have my opinions. I explained my reasons. Please don't use the armchair psychoanalysis approach as an alternative excuse to avoid saying "agree to disagree." Otherwise, it'd simply be wimping out.

No offense.

and one more thing - You are gravely mistaken. It is YOU who cannot agree to disagree.

Example? look back at your previous posts. They're repetitive, combative, and vengeful.

"Deaf militias" will just be the way they are and I'm sure you can do better do better than that - walk away and ignore them. They're lunatic. There's no need for you to defend yourself against them. So are you a lunatic too - opposite version of Deaf militias?
 
Not sure about this explanation. I have now chosen from deep within to identify myself as deaf and different from a hearing person (or wannabe hearing person). Being deaf shapes my existence and values. It's not so much a within/without difference as a difference in language & culture. And Deafness is shaped from without by accepting the values of other Deaf people.

Let me know what you find out from Paddy's book. I am order the same copy myself.
 
If you have a dB loss at 26, then welcome! Otherwise, cherish what you have. We're only temporarily abled in life.

No clue. On the other hand, I started learning ASL for fun and then found out after I was a month or two into it that it's quite helpful for me, too, lol. So that was a nice surprise.
 
:wave:Jillio and thanks for your thought there about what I posted. I am thinking more and more on this and pondering what everyone is posting.
I need to learn more about this too and want to get that book.

peace to all....
 
and one more thing - You are gravely mistaken. It is YOU who cannot agree to disagree.

Example? look back at your previous posts. They're repetitive, combative, and vengeful.

"Deaf militias" will just be the way they are and I'm sure you can do better do better than that - walk away and ignore them. They're lunatic. There's no need for you to defend yourself against them. So are you a lunatic too - opposite version of Deaf militias?
Hey, it's not necessary to put me down like that.

Sincerely
Lieutenant Flip
The deaf militia
 
Not sure about this explanation. I have now chosen from deep within to identify myself as deaf and different from a hearing person (or wannabe hearing person). Being deaf shapes my existence and values. It's not so much a within/without difference as a difference in language & culture. And Deafness is shaped from without by accepting the values of other Deaf people.

That looks a lot like Paddy Ladd's worldview (except that it seems that in his definition, he doesn't require that one accept the values of the community as your own, but describes it instead as a sharing of lives with each other):

"I found myself coining a new label of 'Deafhood.' Deafhood is not, however, a 'static' medical condition like 'deafness.' Instead, it represents a process – the struggle by each Deaf child, Deaf family and Deaf adult to explain to themselves and each other their own existence in the world. In sharing their lives with each other as a community, and enacting those explanations rather than writing books about them, Deaf people are engaged in a daily praxis, a continuing internal and external dialogue. " ("Understanding Deaf Culture" by Paddy Ladd)

On coining the term "Deafhood" (2011)

As far as whether he references all who are deaf as being on this journey from the time they develop a self-awareness or limits this 'hood' to those who are Big D-Deaf, I've seen interpretations go both ways. He does specifically use "Deaf" to refer to those undertaking the journey, but I've also seen compelling arguments that this is simply a reflection of his view that being deaf is a cultural vs. audiological difference (I'm thinking of vlogs over the years by people like Dr.DonG, patti durr & Deb Ann and several discussions with friends who have attended Deafhood seminars who have referenced Deafhood as something that all deaf enter). And this is a pretty cool collection of how some see Deafhood, as well.

I have some difficulty with the colonization analogy tied so tightly to Deafhood, but I've seen my daughter on a Deafhood journey from the time she was first self-aware and communicating. I think Ladd describes this not only as a process that every (audiologically) deaf person experiences, whether Deaf or deaf) but also as a journey without end, lifelong, without fixed destination, or even a common destination from one to the next person, and each individual's journey and any state he or she is in at any point in time and any label he or she applies to himself or herself is as valid as the next. Unlike the external society of Deaf Culture, Deafhood seems to be described by Ladd as a very personal experience driven by the individual, developed internally, and then reflected in how the person interacts with others.
 
Deafhood applies to D E A F people. just deaf people, as in people who can't hear. Period. Not people with mild hearing loss because by definition, they are NOT deaf.

You mean, for example, people with hearing loss who can use the telephone easily whether through the use of hearing aids or cochlear implants?
 
Deafhood applies to D E A F people. just deaf people, as in people who can't hear. Period. Not people with mild hearing loss because by definition, they are NOT deaf.

You mean, for example, people with hearing loss who can use the telephone easily whether through the use of hearing aids or cochlear implants cannot have a "deafhood" journey?
 
I mean those who cannot hear when they take off the hearing aids or remove the CIs, hearing aids and CIs do not give you permanent hearing and for the most part, does not even give you close to perfect hearing. And at the end of the day, they're still dealing with being a person with a hearing problem once they take off their hearing aids or CIs before going to sleep and when they wake up, they wake up not hearing. So, yeah, I would say they definitely can have a deafhood journey depending on how they define that for themselves.
 
Nope. The "a" word only gets used in the evidence of an audist statement and/or mindset.

How is "d"eaf an identity. You are going to have to elaborate on that one.
The "d"eaf have just as much right to have their own "d"eaf identity or feel good about it as the Deaf do about theirs.
 
Funny how people like to psychoanalyze those who don't know better themselves on trying to figure out a person's life. I don't do that to people in here but it's ok for you to do that? Interesting.

I'm not sure what you meant by "old" issues from my time at Gallaudet. I don't have "old" issues. My views have been the consistent during and after Gallaudet. Met a lot of great people there. Met my future deaf wife there. Met a lot friends there just as I have done the same thing at Univ. of Idaho during my graduate days and afterwards. I wouldn't change a thing in what I do and have done. My wife uses pure ASL and switches over to PSE/SE and have taught ASL classses, too! I use SE/PSE. But she talk and listen,too. I have always preferred to talk and listen. But while I'm with my deaf/hh friends, I sign. What else? And yet you never met me! You do this armchair analysis. My advice? Don't do that. Makes you look a bigger fool thinking you know the bigger picture. No wonder how people depend so much on words written here and elsewhere to think they have a complete picture. Reserve that judgement until you actually meet people offline. I remind myself that everyday that people on the internet are certainly different when you get to meet them in person. And I try not to take people responses here personally, including yours, because you do not know what you are saying but are simply grasping at air.

As for "rejection issues," how is that so? I have Deaf, deaf, hh, and hearing friends ranging from those who sign in SEE, ASL, SE and those who prefer to speak and listen to my hearing friends. Many from Gallaudet and outside. My friends know who I am and accept me rather because they know me and know who I am. Those who have met me ended being suprised because they had a long held misconception about me. Please take a clue here. That has been a common refrain from some Deaf people who are unable to agree to disagree with my opinions but must go the route of "rejection issues" shows desperation or misunderstanding.

As for "Deafhood," I have my opinions. I explained my reasons. Please don't use the armchair psychoanalysis approach as an alternative excuse to avoid saying "agree to disagree." Otherwise, it'd simply be wimping out.

No offense.
You do have some good points. Cause when I come up with certain thoughts, feelings or opinions, some seem to want to put a "negative spin" on them or make certain assumptions saying "You must have had some bad experiences in the past" and stuff like that. Yet, when I say "I've actually had more experiences with Deaf people than some of you think", they don't seem to follow up on it or want to "open the door" to that statement and so forth.
 
Last edited:
Funny how people like to psychoanalyze those who don't know better themselves on trying to figure out a person's life. I don't do that to people in here but it's ok for you to do that? Interesting.

I'm not sure what you meant by "old" issues from my time at Gallaudet. I don't have "old" issues. My views have been the consistent during and after Gallaudet. Met a lot of great people there. Met my future deaf wife there. Met a lot friends there just as I have done the same thing at Univ. of Idaho during my graduate days and afterwards. I wouldn't change a thing in what I do and have done. My wife uses pure ASL and switches over to PSE/SE and have taught ASL classses, too! I use SE/PSE. But she talk and listen,too. I have always preferred to talk and listen. But while I'm with my deaf/hh friends, I sign. What else? And yet you never met me! You do this armchair analysis. My advice? Don't do that. Makes you look a bigger fool thinking you know the bigger picture. No wonder how people depend so much on words written here and elsewhere to think they have a complete picture. Reserve that judgement until you actually meet people offline. I remind myself that everyday that people on the internet are certainly different when you get to meet them in person. And I try not to take people responses here personally, including yours, because you do not know what you are saying but are simply grasping at air.

As for "rejection issues," how is that so? I have Deaf, deaf, hh, and hearing friends ranging from those who sign in SEE, ASL, SE and those who prefer to speak and listen to my hearing friends. Many from Gallaudet and outside. My friends know who I am and accept me rather because they know me and know who I am. Those who have met me ended being suprised because they had a long held misconception about me. Please take a clue here. That has been a common refrain from some Deaf people who are unable to agree to disagree with my opinions but must go the route of "rejection issues" shows desperation or misunderstanding.

As for "Deafhood," I have my opinions. I explained my reasons. Please don't use the armchair psychoanalysis approach as an alternative excuse to avoid saying "agree to disagree." Otherwise, it'd simply be wimping out.

No offense.

Nah. no offense here. wow you have pretty much to say it after i simply told you that you knew what you were doing on AD. That is what I mean because i know you know about how deaf people are. I do not need to state what old issue was and i only wanted to tell you that you knew what you are doing on AD. Simple as that. no worries. :)
 
I mean those who cannot hear when they take off the hearing aids or remove the CIs, hearing aids and CIs do not give you permanent hearing and for the most part, does not even give you close to perfect hearing. And at the end of the day, they're still dealing with being a person with a hearing problem once they take off their hearing aids or CIs before going to sleep and when they wake up, they wake up not hearing. So, yeah, I would say they definitely can have a deafhood journey depending on how they define that for themselves.

Deafhood is for deaf people only? And not for hard of hearing people? What about those who sign versus who listen and speak?

Here's something to read. I like this blog piece.

Deafhood– A Late-Deafened Viewpoint « SayWhatClub
 
Deafhood is for deaf people only? And not for hard of hearing people? What about those who sign versus who listen and speak?

Here's something to read. I like this blog piece.

Deafhood– A Late-Deafened Viewpoint « SayWhatClub

That's where it starts getting vague and grey because then we have to go back to discussing the meaning of deaf itself. Like you said, people who wear glasses are not blind. So, people with mild or moderate hearing loss are not deaf. But then one would ask, what about severe hearing loss - where does that fall? So, this could very well be the debate that will never end.

All I know is that me personally, I don't classify people with mild to moderate hearing loss as deaf. I just see them as hard of hearing. Just like I don't classify people who wear glasses as blind.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top