ʻThe concept of Deaf identity in Sloveniaʼ

Transcription

1 ʻThe concept of Deaf identity in Sloveniaʼ DAMJANA KOGOVŠEK Faculty of Education, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia COLLABORATION with and MANY THANKS to The Ljubljana School for the Deaf, speech and language therapists Deaf teachers: Marjetka and Petra,

2 RESEARCH NEEDS Public awareness DEAF / HEARING are common society Thinking about the possibilities improvements about communication methods and rehabilitation Challenges in researching d/deaf population Use of proper communication methods in rehabilitation process Experiences with working with Deaf and hard of hearing adolescents The presented research is a part of the bigger research 2

3 INTRODUCTION Deaf people should never be regarded as a class apart, as a group with special curious characteristics, and there should never be attempted any research into the psychology of the deaf as if they all had some special traits in common. The fact of the matter is that each deaf person, whether deaf at birth or later, is unique individual. He or she differs from all other people, both deaf and hearing, as dose anyone else. (Corker, 1994) 3 3

4 THE AIM OF THE RESEARCH to define and identify the concept of identity of the deaf and hard of hearing adolescents, with an emphasis on the rehabilitation process, because in Slovenia there has not been any research on deaf identity yet. 4

5 GENERAL HYPOTHESES? H1: Deaf and hard of hearing adolescents identify themselves only with the Deaf community.? SPECIFIC HYPOTHESES? H2: The impact of hearing loss affects the formation of the cultural deaf identity. H3: Cultural deaf identity and the code of communication affect the degree of self-esteem among the deaf and hard of hearing adolescents. 5 5

6 HYPOTHESES GENERAL HYPOTHESES? H1: Deaf and hard of hearing adolescents identify themselves only with the Deaf community.? SPECIFIC HYPOTHESES? H2: The impact of hearing loss affects the formation of the cultural deaf identity. H3: Cultural deaf identity and the code of communication affect the degree of self-esteem among the deaf and hard of hearing adolescents. 5 5

7 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND DEFINITION OF DEAFNESS / DEAF PARADIGM MEDICAL - PATHOLOGICAL MODEL CULTURAL MODEL (social / linguistic) FORMATION AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF CULTURALLY DEAF IDENTITY SELF ESTEEM / ONSET OF DEAFNESS (hearing status, impact of environmental factors, group identification) THEORY OF PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT THE CULTURAL AND RACIAL IDENTITY DEVELOPMENTAL THEORY DEAF AS CULTURALLY DIFFERENT DEAF AND HEARING COLABORATION (conflicts and coexistence) ADOLESCENCE PERIOD,... REHABILITATION PROCESS - INDIVIDUAL SLT THERAPY IMPORTANCE OF CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF INTER-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION 6 6

8 THEORY OF DEAF IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT (Glickman, 1994, p. 145) STAGE REFERENCE GROUP VIEW OF DEAFNESS VIEW OF DEAF COMMUNITY EMOTIONAL THEME HEARING HEARING PATHOLOGY UNINFORMED, STEREO-TYPED DESPAIR, DEPRESSION MARGINAL SWITCHES PATHOLOGY SHIFT FOM GOOG TO BAD CONFUSION, CONFLICT IMMERSION DEAF CULTURAL POSITIVE, NON- REFLECTIVE ANGER, IN LOVE WITH DEAFNESS BICULTURAL DEAF CULTURAL POSITIVE, PERSONAL, INTEGRATED SELF- ACCEPTANCE, GROUP PRIDE 7 7

9 LOOKING DEEPER INTO THE DEAF IDENTITY 8

10 METHODOLOGY OF RESEARCH 1. PARTICIPANTS 2. INSTRUMENTS 3. PROCEDURE 4. ANALYSIS 5.RESULTS 9

11 1. PARTICIPANTS 12 DEAF PARENTS 65 DEAF adolescents: 36 female 29 male 51 PRE- LINGUALLY DEAF 3? 53 HEARING PARENTS 11 POST- LINGUALLY DEAF 43 HARD OF HEARING ADOLESCENTS 22 DEAF ADOLESCENTS 10

12 2. INSTRUMENTS CULTURALLY HEARING = HS DIDS-SCALE is a 60-item instrument CULTURALLY MARGINAL = MS 5-point Likert scale Author: Neil Glickman IMMERSION IN THE DEAF WORLD = IS BICULTURAL = BS Glickman, N. (1996). The Development of Culturally Deaf Identities. In N.S. Glickman, M.A. Harvey (Eds), Culturally Affirmative Psychotherapy With Deaf Persons (pp ). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers. 11

13 CULTURALLY HEARING = HS Deafness is understood solely as a medical pathology, never as a cultural difference. Medicine and technology are looked to for ways to help deaf people become full members of hearing society. Hearing people are assumed to be more healthy than deaf people. Deaf people are stereotyped as socially awkward, isolated and lonely, less intelligent,... That is why they avoid contacts with deaf people. The successful deaf person is the one who is fully functional within hearing society without support services and without sign language. Educational and social policy will most easily align with oralism. Deaf adolescents may develop a hearing identity if they grow up within an environment where they interact with hearing adults and peers orally. This reflects an audiological dimensions of being deaf

14 Idealization of the Deaf world and criticism of the hearing world. Thinking like: Deaf can do no wrong and hearing can do no right. Sign language is superior to oral languages (English). Deaf people should never use their voices. Signing and speaking simultaneously is never appropriate. Only Deaf people should run Deaf programmes or teach Deaf people. Generalized anger, especially directed to hearing people. Different stages (anti-hearing than pro-deaf; Deaf affirmative vision rather than being antihearing per se) IMMERSION IN THE DEAF WORLD = IS 13 13

15 CULTURALLY MARGINAL = MS Poor communication skills in both oral language (English) and sign language. Social behavior that is inappropriate for both Deaf and hearing communities. Difficulty establishing relationships with either Deaf or hearing people. Confusion regarding identity. A sense of fitting in nowhere, being between worlds, and nowhere at home. Searching for an elusive middle ground, especially as regards communication. The value of simultaneous communication. Shifting loyalties toward Deaf and hearing people

16 Clear cultural pride as a Deaf person while recognizing that both Deaf and hearing people have strengths and weaknesses. An appreciation and respect for oral language (English) and sign language. Equal value. Conversational abilities in both languages. The ability to recognize and oppose hearing paternalism and other forms of Deaf oppression. A deep and personal sense of what it means to be Deaf. Deaf adolescents may develop a bicultural identity and feel immersed and comfortable within both the Deaf and the hearing world. BICULTURAL = BS 15 15

17 2. PROCEDURE WRITTEN VERSION TRANSLATION INTO SSL (SZJ) two phases of the research (the equivalent pairs with hearing adolescents) METHODOLOGICAL RESEARCH PROBLEM DEAF TEACHERS (back and forward translation) two phases of the research the equivalent pairs with hearing adolescents age, gender, nationality, school programme 16

18 4. ANALYSIS QUANTITATIVE METHODS QUALITATIVE METHODS COMBINATION OF DIFFERENT ANALYSIS METRIC CHARACTERISTIC IN-DEPTH LOOK INTO DEAF ADOLESCENTS IDENTITIES 17

19 RESULTS OF DIDS SCALE AFFILIATION TO DEAF CULTURE DIDS ANALYSIS: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DEAF AND HH ADOLESCENTS DISCRIMINATIVE ANALYSIS by school programme CORRELATIONS in DIDS SCALE and SELF-ESTEEM Classification of composite variables (huge difference on IS) (IS immersion with Deaf Community) (MS, HS, -IS, BS) (MS, BS, IS, (HS) FACTOR ANALYSIS DISCRIMINATIVE ANALYSIS by onset of deafness SAMOSPOŠT. / DIDS-a (IS - items according to Deaf community DISCRIMINATIVE ANALYSIS by hearing status of parents (BS MS, HS items according to Bicultural affiliation REGRESSION ANALYSIS impact of deaf society on the level of SELF- ESTEEM (MS, BS, IS,?) for each DIDS scale HS, MS, IS, BS ( 6, 6, 5, 5) H1 H2 18 H3 18

20 5. RESULTS H1 H2 Deaf and hard of hearing adolescents DO NOT identify themselves only with the Deaf community. The impact of hearing loss affects the formation of the cultural deaf identity. H3 Cultural deaf identity and the code of communication affect the degree of self-esteem among the deaf and hard of hearing adolescents. CONFUSION IN IDENTITY FORMATION AMONG DEAF ADOLESCENTS 19

21 CONCLUSION FACTS ABOUT IDENTITY FORMATION AND THE PRESSURES IDENTITY PRESSURES COMMUNICATION METHODS IN REHABILITATION PROCESS QUESTIONS: Who am I? Where do I belong? Who do I belong to? What do I want? HEARING PEOPLE DEAF CHILDREN OF HEARING PEOPLE DISABLED PEOPLE BICULTURAL DEAF PEOPLE CHILDREN OF DEAF PEOPLE DEAFENED PEOPLE HEARING CHILDREN OF HEARING PEOPLE DEAF PEOPLE HARD OF HEARING PEOPLE S E L F - E S T E E M Corker, M. (1994). Counselling The Deaf Challenge. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers; Adaptation of the figure Identity pressure (Corker, 1994) 20

22 FACTS TO REMEMBER - A NEW UNDERSTANDING OF DEAF PEOPLE We all live in one world. Cooperation is crucial. Understanding is important. The construction of deaf identity depends on several factors (Woll&Ladd, 2003): - attitudes of the majority society towards deaf persons, - use of the sign language, - the size of deaf population, - life opportunities available to deaf persons. Key-colture concerns (Glickman, 1996): A social-cultural rather than medical-pathological understanding of deafness; Respect for the deaf community and culture. Deaf people can affiliating with their own. A basic belief is needed: Deaf people can control their own lives. Deaf and hearing must co-create a mechanism for exercising a schifting balance of power

23 We do not see everything, if we are not able to see what BLIND PEOPLE can see. THANK YOU We do not hear everything, if we are not able to hear what DEAF PEOPLE can hear. And for sure we can not say everything, if we are not able to say what MUTE can. Anonymous 22