Check out the book "Deaf in America, Voices from a Culture." Meet the deadlines below by READING and posting to the blog. For each blog post please include 2 quotes and a page number. Read what others have said. Your entry in that blog shows me you read that chapter. BONUS: Comment / Post to 7 of the 8!
Deaf people share stories just as any other culture does. And it is to be expected that Deaf peoples' stories have to do with their past and their culture. "The choice of images that portray bleakness, imprisionment, and death, and the association of them with a world not designed by Deaf people but proposed by others, are not accidental, but are actively built into stories like these" (38). As we all know, Deaf people have had a history of oppression being that they are in the minority. Being such a significant part of their history, it makes sense that their stories reflect the dark subject matter. As hearing americans we have simple stories about good triumphing over evil and everyone singing kumbiah at the end because of our idealistic culture. Your culture and history is usually reflected in your story telling. Also, as with any culture, storytelling is a powerful teaching tool. Deaf stories "are a vital means of teaching the wisdom of the group to those who do not have Deaf families" (38). When you don't grow up in a Deaf family, you don't experience Deaf stories. I have friends that were born and raised in France so there are some references that he doesn't get. That is simply because he grew up in a different culture. Same concept with Deafies. They have just as rich a story base as anyone else, reflective of their history and culture.
ReplyDeleteThis chapter focuses on the idea of Deafness. Deaf people are very similar to hearing people in the way they pass on cultures and traditions just like hearing people do.When we were in ASL 200 we learned about the history of ASL, where ASL originated from and where it got it's roots from but there is more to the history than we learned in our first year. There has been Deaf people as long as there has been hearing people. Jean Massieu started the first school for the Deaf"the schools also generated a stability that outlasted a student's school years"(30). I think about this as I will always be a Bothell cougar no matter how old I get and you will always remember where you went to school. Deaf people have come a long way and do not face as much oppression as they once did but the stories they have will never fade.
ReplyDeleteThis chapter was very interesting to me. I had never really considered being Deaf as something that came with a heritage. (Despite knowing about the history of Deaf Americans). It is cool to think about how the Deaf have their own heritage like the Swedish, Japanese, or German do. The Epee folktale was simple, very sweet, and very romanticized. As I read it I hoped the book would share more examples of Deaf folklore (which they did). As I read about how important the folktale seemed to be to the Deaf people the authors met with in France, I too was wondering why they did not hear stories about Laurent Clerc. But as I read on I realized the story served as a more symbolic tale. The book talked about the character moving, "from the darkness of the night into the light and warmth of the house" (29). This sentence was really moving to me, and made me hope that Deaf people can continue to move out of the darkness of oppression and social isolation into the light of a world with educated individuals who can learn to accept others, regardless of differences. As I read the segments about Deaf schools in France I became curious about how many residential Schools for the Deaf are actually in France. After a bit of internet browsing, I found out that as of 2014, France has only ONE schools for the Deaf. Strikingly, Italy has sixteen. To make this shocking fact more apparent-Italy is about the size of California, and France is about the size of Montana and Wyoming put together. Italy has a significantly larger number of Deaf schools compared to France. This makes me wonder about the history of the Italian Deaf and why they have such a large number of Schools for the Deaf compared to surrounding nations. Later in the chapter the authors wrote, "...[the deaf] must find each other within the world of others" (31). I thought this sentence was beautiful. We are all trying to find each other in life: be it someone with similar experiences, desires, etc. The book moves on to discuss how the dark street in the story represents the experience of Deaf children before they meet other Deaf individuals. This made me hope that perhaps Hearing signers could help brighten that world just a little. The story of Joshua Davis gave me similar hope. The soldier who had a Deaf brother and stood up for the accused boy reminds me of when Hearing signers are able to step in and help a Deaf individual be accepted into a Hearing community, or interpret for them in a sticky situation. Reading in this chapter about all of the teachers at Deaf schools who do not want their students using sign continues to make me angry. Those people signed up for a job working with signers, did they expect to just assimilate everyone to their language? Why become a teacher of the Deaf if you do not enjoy signing. In my opinion, it is completely inappropriate to try to assimilate someone else's culture into yours. Lastly, the most profound part of this chapter for me was the section in which they depict the dunking and caning of Deaf children who use sign when oral methods are being forced on them. The fact that the beating and *essentially* torture of children was permitted makes me sick. Sticking someone's head in a bowl of water until they nearly drown is against every fiber of morality. I am glad these methods are now outlawed. I can only imagine the terror children in those schools experienced on the daily.
ReplyDeleteThis chapter focuses on the stories of the Deaf culture and the significance they have in the Deaf culture. The story of Abbe de l'Epee is one which explains a certain view in Deaf culture. "It has come to symbolize, in its retelling through the centuries, the transition from a world in which deaf people live alone or in small isolated communities to a world in which they have a rich community and language"(29). This story shows a movement towards community being positive, which reveals the values behind the Deaf culture that tells this story. The other importance of these stories is that "the stories are 'instructions,' which go beyond simply recalling the past and teach about how one's life should be conducted and what must be valued"(33). This is an idea that the authors explain as important when Deaf culture isn't always passed on in the same way as other cultures. for people who did not grow in in Deaf families, stories are ways of passing on Deaf history and values to Deaf people who are from hearing families. This is why Deaf storytelling is even more important in Deaf culture than in some other cultures.
ReplyDeleteThis chapter really embraced the Deaf culture and how it varies from place to place. Something quite interesting though, is how it is so similar from place to place as well. For example, the French and American Deaf cultures had many stories that were extremely similar or even some that were completely the same. They could be related to Greek mythology for the Deaf. They have stories, such as the one about Abbe de l'Epee, that are slightly fabricated but are used to describe the history of Deaf culture. The authors of this book were quite intrigued but also confused by how often they heard this story, they said, "We were curious about the emotion and reverence the storyteller showed during his recitation. Clearly the story meant a great deal to him, and though we were warmed and inspired by it, we did not fully understand why it was so important to him," (28). Even these authors who are very involved and invested in Deaf culture, didn't get this story at first. They had to take the time to ask questions and research to fully understand what this story meant to the locals. That just goes to show that it's hard to understand other cultures UNLESS you put in the time and effort, and it will definitely pay off in the end.
ReplyDeleteIf I were to choose one takeaway from this section, I would choose this quote, "It is the special knowledge gained from other Deaf people that can save one's life," (33). This quote shows how important sign language is to Deaf people. Not only is it their main form of communication, but it helps them emotionally and somewhat spiritually. It is what helps connect them to other Deaf people and gives them a sense of belonging.
This chapter dove into many folktales and historical stories that make up Deaf culture. All these stories were fun to read about and seemed interesting enough, but what was truly fascinating was the meaning underneath these stories. The story of Abbe de l’Epee discusses a story of which a man encounters two deaf girls who do not understand him when he speaks to them, so he sets out on a quest to educate them. While the story is inaccurate in its claim that Epee created their sign language, its deeper meaning is still truly powerful. “...it has come to symbolize, in its retelling through the centuries, the transition from a world in which deaf people live alone or in small isolated communities to a world in which they have a rich community and language” (29). Epee promoted the signed language and was, in turn, able to help create a new community. This shows how powerful language is to a community, as it brings people together and gives them a way to understand each other and interact. For such a language to be taken away would be truly detrimental. Sadly, the case is true for many European schools. Many European Schools for the Deaf denied their students the right to use sign language. To prevent such an atrocity to occur in American schools, Verditz paints a story in a speech, claiming “if signed language is “snatched away” from Deaf people, they can only fall into despair, “chained at the ankles” and imprisoned as they watch others “free to wander at will,” their language intact” (36). I feel this metaphor of comparing children not allowed to sign in schools with prisoners watching others roam free is fairly accurate. If you take away language from a child, they have no means to communicate and are bound to silence, while they watch others roam free with their speech, no disadvantages being thrown their way like the others. People obviously need to be given the right to sign; without it, you are taking away their right to communicate with others.
ReplyDeleteThis chapter dove into many folktales and historical stories that make up Deaf culture. All these stories were fun to read about and seemed interesting enough, but what was truly fascinating was the meaning underneath these stories. The story of Abbe de l’Epee discusses a story of which a man encounters two deaf girls who do not understand him when he speaks to them, so he sets out on a quest to educate them. While the story is inaccurate in its claim that Epee created their sign language, its deeper meaning is still truly powerful. “...it has come to symbolize, in its retelling through the centuries, the transition from a world in which deaf people live alone or in small isolated communities to a world in which they have a rich community and language” (29). Epee promoted the signed language and was, in turn, able to help create a new community. This shows how powerful language is to a community, as it brings people together and gives them a way to understand each other and interact. For such a language to be taken away would be truly detrimental. Sadly, the case is true for many European schools. Many European Schools for the Deaf denied their students the right to use sign language. To prevent such an atrocity to occur in American schools, Verditz paints a story in a speech, claiming “if signed language is “snatched away” from Deaf people, they can only fall into despair, “chained at the ankles” and imprisoned as they watch others “free to wander at will,” their language intact” (36). I feel this metaphor of comparing children not allowed to sign in schools with prisoners watching others roam free is fairly accurate. If you take away language from a child, they have no means to communicate and are bound to silence, while they watch others roam free with their speech, no disadvantages being thrown their way like the others. People obviously need to be given the right to sign; without it, you are taking away their right to communicate with others.
ReplyDeleteI guess it should have hit me sooner that like hearing culture, deaf culture has folktales as well. They are different stories that tell the history of deaf people. One of the folktales described in this chapter was the story of Abbe de l'Epee. One thing that really stuck out for me was the quote, "The storyteller finished with a flourish as he portrayed the Abbe struck by a vision of his mission; to educate deaf children" (27). This immediately reminded me of Gallaudet and his work. Similar to Gallaudet, a girl's parent had asked him to teach their child. Both were coined for "creating" their sign language from the help of others. Both were advocates for educating deaf children. Another topic that hit home for me in this chapter was the story of Joshua Davis. "In all different versions of this story, its core is the same: a hapless Deaf boy, captured by soldiers and about to be hanged as a spy, is saved by an officer who has a Deaf relative" (32). This particular tale stuck out to me because as we learn sign language, we can be like the officer. The boy was only being hung because of the communication barrier. but as more people learn sign, the barrier shrinks. This tale really shows the importance that being able to communicate has on this world. I enjoyed this chapter because it brought different folktales to life and I was able to reflect on them and picture what happened. We had not gone over many in class so I enjoyed reading more about them.
ReplyDeleteIf you were a child growing up in America, you grew up with stories such as Cinderella, Mulan, Snow White, or Peter Pan. These stories all taught us lessons about being kind and courageous and that we should always dream. It's interesting to see the difference in the stories among different communities. Most American fairytales or folktales have a moral. However, folktales that come from the Deaf community teach us about its origins and how it became to be the community that it is now. "Instead it has come to symbolize, in its retelling through the centuries, the transition from a world in which deaf people live alone or in small isolated communities to a world in which they have a rich community and language" (29). This shows how powerful language can be in a culture. This folktales tell us how sign language came to be and how it has evolved. It's so significant in our world that all these things came to be. The hearing culture and Deaf culture would not be the same. "It is the special knowledge gained from other Deaf people that can save one's life" (33). As a society, we should know the different cultures in our world and respect them. Deaf culture is no different. There are many people who don't understand the Deaf culture and because of this, a barrier has been made. However, if you were to learn about the Deaf culture, read their folktales, you will be able to learn about their hardships, their oppression, and how they overcame it to become the community they are today.
ReplyDeleteIf you were a child growing up in America, you grew up with stories such as Cinderella, Mulan, Snow White, or Peter Pan. These stories all taught us lessons about being kind and courageous and that we should always dream. It's interesting to see the difference in the stories among different communities. Most American fairytales or folktales have a moral. However, folktales that come from the Deaf community teach us about its origins and how it became to be the community that it is now. "Instead it has come to symbolize, in its retelling through the centuries, the transition from a world in which deaf people live alone or in small isolated communities to a world in which they have a rich community and language" (29). This shows how powerful language can be in a culture. This folktales tell us how sign language came to be and how it has evolved. It's so significant in our world that all these things came to be. The hearing culture and Deaf culture would not be the same. "It is the special knowledge gained from other Deaf people that can save one's life" (33). As a society, we should know the different cultures in our world and respect them. Deaf culture is no different. There are many people who don't understand the Deaf culture and because of this, a barrier has been made. However, if you were to learn about the Deaf culture, read their folktales, you will be able to learn about their hardships, their oppression, and how they overcame it to become the community they are today.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I really loved about this chapter is the history it gave of not only FSL, but ASL but extension. We spent so much tome first year learning about Gallaudet and Clerc, and now we got to take it one step further and learn about the very first signed languages ever developed. It gave great insight into what the basis of a language and culture are, and the very essence of the people in them: "Instead it had come to symbolize, in its retelling through the centuries, the transition from a world in which deaf people live alone or in small isolated communities to a world in which they have a rich community and language. This is not merely a historical tale, but also a folktale about the origin of a people and their language" (29). I think its really cool to think about the essence of culture and language, and how fundamental each individual person is to building that community and society. Its also amazing to know that, while we are not Deaf and can never fully be a part of the Deaf community, we can still have an impact on the people we meet who are Deaf, just as they can have a profound influence on us. The authors talked with a man named Veditz, who said: "For the last thirty-three years, the French Deaf people have watched with tear-filled eyes and broken hearts this beautiful language of signs snatched away from their school" (34). To take away any part of a culture takes away a piece of the identity involved in that culture. People are who they are because of the things they do down to the language they speak/sign. No one has the right to interfere with the identity of another, which is why it is so important to accept and respect people for who they are.
ReplyDeleteMost of the stories we hear as a hearing culture include things that happened in one event. A lot of the times these stories include fictional characters to get a message across. A folktale for the Deaf culture is a way for us to learn how Deafness began. Folktales are usually passed down to keep retelling and learning the history. " By retelling these stories the group can talk about a knowledge it believes to be essentials, its lifeblood." (26) The importance of these Deaf folktales is much more than a story or a piece of history. Acceptance of Deaf culture has taken a lot of time to evolve considering the amount of discrimination it's faced. "This is not merely a historical tale, but also a folktale about the origin of the people and their language." (29) This quote is a perfect example of how important these folktales have come to be. These stories are marks through history that people have been through. People gain themselves through language, whether that is Spanish, English, French, or ASL, we are formed through the culture of our language. This chapter was an eye opener on all the different cultures and communities there are, and how important stories can be to these cultures.
ReplyDeleteIn any group of people whether it be a country, culture, community, religion, or even a family, folktales are what carry the history of how that group came to be where it is today. In this chapter, we saw that this is the same for the Deaf culture and communities around the world. We have learned that Deaf people have faced much oppression in the past and though they still continue to face that in our society, it have greatly improved from where it once was. From stories like the Abbé de I, Epée, the authors were able to gather that the folktales passed on from generation to generation of Deaf people are not necessarily about the story, but about “the transition from a world in which deaf people live alone or in small isolated communities to a world in which they have a rich community and language” (29). These stories of folktales pass along the journey and hardships that Deaf people have had to face in a world of injustice to gain the community it has today. They also "are a vital means of teaching the wisdom of the group to those who do not have Deaf families" (38). For Deaf people that do not have family members that are Deaf, it is a different experience transitioning into the Deaf culture and community since their family members are hearing. These folktales allow people without Deaf families to understand how Deaf people have fought oppression and struggled to gain access and rights to what they have today.
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