Rowley Revisited: A Personal Narrative

Perspectiva, 2006

Sites: a journal of social anthropology and cultural studies, 2006

2012

The SAGE Deaf Studies Encyclopedia

Theory Into Practice, 1975

This thesis examines written debates and discussions about Deaf ways of being and signed languages from within a selection of South Australian public print-media documents. Drawing on texts of both Deaf and hearing writers, the study also investigates Deaf and hearing relationships as played out within these discursive interactions, and documents a thirty year period in the community’s process of ‘coming to voice’ (Humphries 1996; 2008). The primary focus of the thesis is towards investigating and informing both theory and practice in deaf education. Data is sourced from English print media texts that appeared within South Australian Deaf community and mainstream press from 1970 until 2000. Sample texts were predominantly collected via Deaf community networks, with some also found in Deaf community and State library or archive collections. Data was subject to multi-layered analysis, beginning with grounded theory inductive thematic analysis, after which QSR NVIVO software program was used to further explore intertextuality. Next, a textual analysis, consisting primarily of linguistic metaphor analysis was conducted. This was followed by a narrative analysis and then finally by using Humphries’ 1996 and 2008 ‘strange’ and ‘Modern Deaf-self’ notions as a lens. Thematic and narrative analysis found the media discourse tending towards a number of key themes. Much of this centred around differing views about appropriate language use by deaf people, which incorporated exchanges and at times angry debates about the validity of Sign Languages and Deaf culture. Pedagogies within deaf education, and the structures of the education system itself, generated much heated discussion, along with differing views about skills, credentials, aptitudes and attitudes of teachers of the deaf. Other key debates were in relation to the cochlear implantation of deaf children, and the public representation of Deaf people and their Sign Language and culture. Analysis via Humphries’ 1996 and 2008 ‘strange’ and ‘Modern Deaf-self’ frames yielded numerous in-text samples of the expression of differing theories and core beliefs regarding Deaf ways of being. Also revealed within both this layer of analysis and the textual analysis are examples of a number of linguistic strategies used in maintaining and countering oppressive constructs and seeking the upper hand in debate. Such language use also reveals unacknowledged underlying theories about Deaf people held by the writers. Among the identified linguistic devices, metaphor featured heavily in creating and sustaining beliefs about interpersonal separation and connection, and the naturalness or otherwise of being deaf. Particularly important were metaphors of ‘barriers’, ‘silence’ and different ‘worlds’. The findings challenge educators and administrators to explore their own underlying beliefs regarding the authenticity and completeness of the biology and episteme of the deaf students whom they seek to educate, and to reflect on the value or otherwise that they place on adult Deaf indigenous ways of knowing as sources of information. The study also provides insight into Deaf and hearing relationships and communication practices, as well as heightening awareness of ways in which metaphorically framed representations can help or hinder understanding.

Sign Language Studies

Disability & Society, 1989

Deaf education in Croatia still continues to use a predominantly auditory-speech approach, spoken Croatian only, and simultaneous communication (SC). In the last few years a few changes in tradition have been made: most importantly, educational interpreting is now available in high schools and at the university level. Given the lack of bilingual deaf education and early sign language exposure, deaf children make very slow progress in literacy, compared with deaf children of deaf parents. Benefits of early sign language acquisition can be seen in deaf children of deaf parents not only in better social adaptation skills, but also in their better academic achievement compared with other deaf children. The cultural approach to deaf education views sign language as the most natural linguistic form of deaf people, and a powerful means of communication for all purposes and in all circumstances. Here, we discuss case studies of Sweden and Denmark, with 20 years of tradition in deaf bilingual education; the Netherlands, with about 10 years of deaf bilingual education, and Spain, where deaf bilingual education is in the process of implementation. These examples (Sweden, Spain, Netherlands) demonstrate the processes of policy changes and the shift to deaf education that is aimed at taking care of the needs of deaf children and their families, as well as implementing the human rights protections for linguistic minorities.