Deaf Americans Community and Culture - 1427 Words

An average of 90% of all babies born deaf or with some type of hearing loss are born to hearing parents. Deafness can be caused by a variety of things both genetic and environmental. Upon learning their child is deaf, most hearing families try to find ways to fix what they feel is a defect. However, deaf families rejoice in their childs deafness because now they have another person to strengthen the deaf community and carry on the American Deaf culture. There are approximately 35 million people in the United States who are considered deaf or hard of hearing (Culture and Empowerment in the Deaf Community). The majority of these deaf people struggle in the hearing world until they can find a connection to their deafness. They constantly†¦show more content†¦In hearing, it shows support for the deaf without the desire to â€Å"help† the deaf, but rather to empower them to do things for and by themselves. The majority of deaf people do not see themselves as disabled, as hearing people are likely to. Rather, deaf people embrace their deafness as an integral part of who they are. The increasing use of hearing aids and cochlear implants are a concern to the deaf because it continually focuses on seeing deafness as a negative. It should be noted not all deaf agree with the values of the Deaf culture. These deaf are often referred to as â€Å"Heafies†. Heafies is a derogatory name given to a deaf person who sees deaf people as inferior to hearing people and aligns himself with hearing values rather than the deaf values. These deaf individuals are not part of the community or culture and often choose to communicate through various techniques using English word order or oral communication. The use of ASL is extremely important to the deaf community and to Deaf culture. Although fluency is always desired, the willingness to learn and communicate in ASL goes a long way in being accepted. A skilled signer who does not have the right attitude will be seen in a less appealing light than a struggling signer with a true heart for the deaf. Another interesting difference in the Deaf culture is the collectivist ideology. Deaf people, as a whole, areShow MoreRelatedCulture : The American Culture1014 Words   |  5 PagesCulture cannot be defined because it is completely unique to the individual. Culture is something that we choose to create which helps identify ourselves as a person. Throughout the world there are many different cultures. Culture can can be based on things such as language, religion, and tradition or customs that we were raised in. Culture allows for groups of people to come together with similar interests and backgrounds to come share one common ground. Culture is everywhere we look and is in ourRead MoreCulture : The Deaf And Hard Of Hearing1216 Words   |  5 Pagesbe classified as culture. According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language; Culture is defined as the totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human wor k and thought. (Harcourt, 2015) A culture group that is often misunderstood, or entirely forgotten is the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Looking closely at this group one can see that though members come from diverse backgrounds, the bond of being deaf as well as theRead MoreThe Importance Of Deaf Culture1445 Words   |  6 Pageswithin a â€Å"culture† due to the unique social, behavioral, and physical traits each culture represents themselves with. As I began learning about the hallmarks of Deaf culture such as â€Å"language, heritage art and history†, I began wondering about how the historical significance of each one impacted the modern choices of Deaf individuals (Holcomb 17). Our textbook Introduction to American Deaf Culture makes references to how important American Sign Language is to define the Deaf community which leavesRead MoreHearing The Differences Of The Deaf Culture1617 Words   |  7 Pagesgroup has their story to tell. The Deaf have a very unique stor y, but they are not a minority group but rather a culture. Carol Paden author of Inside Deaf Culture defines a culture as a group of people that share language, values, rules of behavior, and traditions. The Deaf culture is unlike any other culture seen before and it differentiates from the typical American culture in many ways. The difference of this culture that makes them special is that they are a culture that has not been passed by residenceRead MoreBenjamin James Bahans Pasision for American Sign Language and Deaf Literature806 Words   |  3 PagesJames Bahan who was born by Deaf parents in New Jersey was very passionate about American Sign Language and Deaf Literature. As a child he attended Marie Katzenbach School for the Deaf in West Trenton, New Jersey as well as Gallaudet University where he is now a professor and chair of American Sign Language and Deaf Studies. Upon returning to Gallaudet University as a professor and chairs person in 1996 he went to The Salk Institut e in La Jolla where he researched American Sign Language linguisticsRead MoreDeaf Culture And Interpreters History1368 Words   |  6 PagesAmerican Deaf Culture and Interpreters History Deaf culture in is one of America’s many sub-cultures, which means that it is a culture imbedded into the overall culture of the nation. What is unique about the deaf culture is that at times it is a sub-culture of a sub-culture, of a culture, for example the deaf community in Colorado is a sub-culture of Colorado’s culture, and Colorado culture is a sub-culture of the American culture. It can get even more complicated than even that, because say thereRead MoreIs Deafness a Disability or a Way of Living?1593 Words   |  7 PagesTwo centuries ago, the Deaf community arose in American society as a linguistic minority. Members of this community share a particular human condition, hearing impairment. However, the use of American Sign Language, as their main means of communicating, and attendance to a residential school for people with deafness also determine their entry to this micro-culture. Despite the fact that Deaf activists argue that their community is essentially an ethnic group, Deaf culture is certainly different fromRead MoreDeaf Culture1589 Words   |  7 PagesDeaf Culture In mainstream American society, we tend to approach deafness as a defect. Helen Keller is alleged to have said, Blindness cuts people off from things; deafness cuts people off from people. (rnib.org) This seems a very accurate description of what Kellers world must have been. We as hearing people tend to pity deaf people, or, if they succeed in the hearing world, admire them for overcoming a severe handicap. We tend to look at signing as an inferior substitute for real communicationRead MoreImpressions of the Deaf Culture and Community Essay725 Words   |  3 PagesAbstract The deaf culture is one that I am not familiar with. No one in my immediate family or none of my close friends are deaf so I have not been exposed to it during my lifetime. I decided to take an American Sign Language course in high school to not only learn the language, but to learn about the deaf culture as well. I would like to someday be fluent in sign language so that I can cater to the deaf community while conducting business. Conducting research, I learned a lot about to deaf communityRead MoreCultures and Sub-Cultures of the Deaf and Deaf-Blind Essay1015 Words   |  5 PagesThe Cultures and Subcultures of the Deaf and Deaf-Blind. California University of Pennsylvania CMD 350: Sign Language amp; Braille I September 27, 2011 The Cultures and Subcultures of the Deaf and Deaf-Blind. Deaf culture describes the social beliefs, behaviors, art, literary traditions, history, values and shared institutions of communities that are affected by deafness and which use sign languages as the main means of communication (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaf_culture). Much