Deaf Culture Essay

When people think about Deaf people, the first word that comes to mind is disabled. The word disabled has a negative connotation. Although the Deaf may not be able to hear, they are very capable of communicating either by spoken words or American Sign Language (ASL). The Deaf have a very rich history just as other cultures do. Just like many other cultures, the Deaf have their own sets of traditions and values. Questions have started arising on whether the Deaf should be considered a disability or a culture. Deaf people should be defined as a culture because of their different life styles. The Deaf should be seen for what they are capable of and not what they unable of doing. To redefine the Deaf community as a culture, I must first define what a culture is. Culture can be seen as a group of people that follow the same patterns of living. According to Goldstein, culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society (1957). Humans tend set themselves apart from …show more content…
When a new member joins the Deaf community they often learn about their new culture in forms of storytelling. It is a tradition in the Deaf culture to pass down stories through ASL. These stories are often about forming a Deaf identity. Those children born of hearing parents often do not learn American Sign Language until they entre school, meaning many Deaf people do not join the community until they are older. Deaf people are a group that see the world visually and use sign language to communicate. Boesch states that culture is learned from a group and not passed down genetically. Story telling is perfect example, for it teaches new members of the Deaf culture about their self-identity. Deaf clubs are a valued tradition in the Deaf community. (how do these traditions support the thesis? This will add