Oral Deaf Culture ?

[jillio]

There actually is such a thing as American hearing culture, which can be contrasted with American Deaf culture on many points. For example, American culture is an individualist one (which is why, paradoxically, we tend to insist that there is no such thing as American culture!), whereas Deaf culture is collectivist. But by "American hearing culture," I don't mean a culture that is based around hearing status, I mean general American culture as compared with American Deaf culture. I would agree there is no such thing as "hearing culture."

For a fascinating discussion about this I highly recommend Anna Mindess' book "Reading Between the Signs: Intercultural Communication for Sign Language Interpreters." Despite the title I think it has very wide appeal to anyone with an interest in intercultural issues and/or American Deaf and hearing cultures. It completely opened my eyes to many aspects of my own culture as well as Deaf culture (and even more broadly, the definition of "culture" and problems inherent in intercultural communication) and it was invaluable to my development as an interpreter and a member of the deaf community.

Excellent post! And quite true!

 

[jillio]

U have a very good point about hearing culture being sound based. So many deaf people and even hearing people who have been involved with the Deaf community first mistake me as a hearing person. It makes sense cuz I grew up in the hearing world. I still don't see what I do that makes them think that way of me because I grew up using my eyes to get information just like deaf signers.

I agree withthe sound based point. Culture quite naturally develops out of the needs of the population. Deaf have a need for visual communication,therefore, their linguistic needs are addressed throught he visual medium of sign language. The norms, values and shared history that serve to complete the concept of culture follow naturally from language.

 

[lemontree]

Again many thanks for contributing to this thread. Although the person I originally posted the query for no longer needs further comments, I am glad to see this thread continued.

 

[jillio]

"Is there such as thing as a "hearing culture" anyways?"


I like this question. I think it is the point of a disagreement I had with a hearing woman just a short time ago. She has a deaf neice and therefore considers herself an expert on "All things Deaf".

One of her contentions is that "Deaf people can not have their own culture because 'They are just like us'." Except of course deaf people cannot hear.

My question is "How can 'they' be like 'us' when 'we' are not alike in any manner, shape or form?". We do not share the same religious, secular, politcal, or sociological beliefs. The only thing we have in common is English and ASL. She signs much better than I do. Even the reasons we sign are different.

She finds Deaf culture, as defined to her, to be communist at worst and socialist at best. I admire the Deaf culture's ability to pool resources and cooperate as family without regard to bloodlines. She believes leadership should be achieved as it is in business management, I believe it should be conferrred as it is in Deaf culture. There are too many differences to list them all.

If we say liberals are one culture and conservatives are another where do people lke myself fit in who see them both as obnoxious pains in the social spectrum?

I am inclined to say there is a Deaf culture, and there are many cultures composed of hearing people, but no "hearing culture".

I tend to agree with you on many of the political points andthe sociological points. But from an anthropological standpoint, Deaf culture has been necessary for survival on a day to day basis. I don't see it as either really socialist or communist, but rather cooperative and collective. Socialist and comunitst are socio-political categories, and the Deaf Culture in America is still subject to the same political system as are hearing Americans. I suppose based on function alone, it could be compared to a socilaist form of government, but in function, it is more of a collective and cooperative society.

 

[Berry]

I tend to agree with you on many of the political points andthe sociological points. But from an anthropological standpoint, Deaf culture has been necessary for survival on a day to day basis. I don't see it as either really socialist or communist, but rather cooperative and collective. Socialist and comunitst are socio-political categories, and the Deaf Culture in America is still subject to the same political system as are hearing Americans. I suppose based on function alone, it could be compared to a socilaist form of government, but in function, it is more of a collective and cooperative society.

How a person sees anything, particularly another group of people, depends on their information, their ability and desire to think a thing through, and their willingness to learn -- In particular their empathy factor: their ability to see things from another's point of view.

You obviously are informed and you spend time thinking. Excellent traits in anyone, even those I disagree with totally.

She is still influenced by the generation where everything was pretty well devided between "capitalists" and "communists." Therefore she sees "collective and cooperative" as oposing "competitive and capitalistic".

Fortunately for us the choices are much more varied than that. In the woman's defense she loves her deaf neice and would do anything in the world for her. But if the neice is deaf to sound, the aunt is equally deaf to certain ideas.

I personally see Deaf Culture as tribal, which to me with my upbringing, is perfectly natural. In fact I think it is the natural unit above the family and many of socieites problems can be explained in terms of people attempting to reestablish tribal units in a society which denies both the need for and the significance of them. Many people are actively antagonistic to the term, picturing a bunch of naked savages running around grunting at each other rather than seeing it for what it is, a group of people working together for their common good.

Deaf Culture has been amazingly successful in developing and maintaining this structure and I personally applaud it.

 

[jillio]

How a person sees anything, particularly another group of people, depends on their information, their ability and desire to think a thing through, and their willingness to learn -- In particular their empathy factor: their ability to see things from another's point of view.

You obviously are informed and you spend time thinking. Excellent traits in anyone, even those I disagree with totally.

She is still influenced by the generation where everything was pretty well devided between "capitalists" and "communists." Therefore she sees "collective and cooperative" as oposing "competitive and capitalistic".

Fortunately for us the choices are much more varied than that. In the woman's defense she loves her deaf neice and would do anything in the world for her. But if the neice is deaf to sound, the aunt is equally deaf to certain ideas.

I personally see Deaf Culture as tribal, which to me with my upbringing, is perfectly natural. In fact I think it is the natural unit above the family and many of socieites problems can be explained in terms of people attempting to reestablish tribal units in a society which denies both the need for and the significance of them. Many people are actively antagonistic to the term, picturing a bunch of naked savages running around grunting at each other rather than seeing it for what it is, a group of people working together for their common good.

Deaf Culture has been amazingly successful in developing and maintaining this structure and I personally applaud it.

Perhaps it falls to you to open some "deaf ears"? And yes, it is quite tribal in content. I do believe it was psychologist Hans Furth who stated that deafness was the only physical disability that made its members part of a natural community.

 

[Berry]

Perhaps it falls to you to open some "deaf ears"?

When I was young and a bit naive I used to attempt that on several issues including race. Then one day I came across a man who chased me off his property with a shotgun screaming that he would not have any "N - loving son of a B ..." within a country mile of him.

After that incident I merely state my position on any issue and feel I've made progress if they accept me as I am with the opinions I hold. If I am not chased off with a shotgun at least there is hope they will one day reconsider their own opinions.

 

[jillio]

When I was young and a bit naive I used to attempt that on several issues including race. Then one day I came across a man who chased me off his property with a shotgun screaming that he would not have any "N - loving son of a B ..." within a country mile of him.

After that incident I merely state my position on any issue and feel I've made progress if they accept me as I am with the opinions I hold. If I am not chased off with a shotgun at least there is hope they will one day reconsider their own opinions.

I suppose there are some degrees of ignorance that prove to be intractable. I have never faced the literal shotgun situation; however the figurative one pops up quite often. Despite my age, the widom of knowing when to keep my mouth shut or my hand quiet often eludes me!