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Deaf Culture and The Five Sociological Criteria

— 16 June 2022

You have probably heard that Deaf, DeafBlind, and hard of hearing (DDBHH) people don’t like to be referred to as people with disabilities and that they don’t consider themselves primarily as having a “disability” or a “disability”, or as people “suffering” from “deafness”.

But Why? What Exactly Makes Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing People Different?

The answer has to do with culture and identity. Deaf culture is characterized by specific ways of doing things, of thinking and of being, three aspects specific to every culture. It can be defined through five sociological criteria: 

1. American Sign Language

ASL is a living language that changes over time. Three-dimensional, visual and manual, it has its own structure, syntax and grammar, which distinguish it from any other form of language, whether spoken or written.  Valued by deaf people because of its visual accessibility, ASL is also among the key identity markers for DDBHH people communicating mainly in ASL. 

2. Values

The values specific to the deaf community include the importance of access to communication for all, both in terms of expression and understanding. Schools and recreational centres for DDBHH individuals are important vehicles for the transmission of these values because of the social interactions that naturally occur in such places. 

3. Traditions

Among the traditions specific to the deaf community in Canada and the United States is ASL literature (meaning all artistic production in ASL). Through this artistic heritage, DDBHH people continue to pass down their stories, their Deaf experience and the very essence of their culture from one generation to the next.

4. Norms

Every culture has its own set of behaviours that they consider acceptable or unacceptable, that allow its members to ensure a certain degree of cohesion within the group. This principle also applies to the Deaf community. For DDBHH people, it may be getting someone’s attention in the appropriate way, maintaining direct eye contact or tapping gently on a DDBHH person’s shoulder to get their attention. 

5. Identity

With respect to identity, “Deaf” with a capital D is a term referring to DDBHH individuals who identify with the Deaf community and have a sense of belonging to this community. These people communicate mainly through sign language and identify with Deaf culture. Deaf identity is a key component that makes a person proud of being Deaf, of belonging to the Deaf community, of and of championing deaf culture and its rich heritage, while making a significant contribution to society. One can think of name signs, which is a crucial part of Deaf identity.

This, then, is the sociocultural perspective embraced and defended by the members of the Deaf community, including their allies. This perspective is light years away from that of the medical community, which sees DDBHH as people needing to be “fixed”. It’s also for all these reasons that they want to have their language and culture recognized, as well as their rights with respect to accessibility to communications.  

So why not put on a new pair of glasses and gradually start discovering all the wealth of the Deaf culture? A wonderful opportunity to explore a new culture without even having to take a plane!  Whether it’s taking an LSQ class (for those whose first language is French) or ASL class, volunteering to work within the Deaf community or following one of the different groups of the community on social media, there are many ways to discover Deaf culture!

 

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