Defining Deaf Culture
The way in which a deaf person deals with their lack of hearing varies between individuals. It’s this element of choice that makes a theory of Deaf Culture such an interesting idea. People of all races are either born or become deaf, and if they make the decision to view their deafness as a distinctive feature rather than a disability, they are said to be a part of “Deaf Culture.”Deaf Culture isn’t passed down in the same way that other cultural traditions are, since deafness is not always hereditary (it’s estimated that less than five percent of deaf people have a Deaf parent). However, that doesn’t mean that the culture doesn’t possess its own rituals, values, and art. The article on “American sign language artists” gives one perspective on deaf storytellers and poets using ASL. Deaf culture also has rules of etiquette when it comes to interrupting signed conversations and keeping others informed about what’s going on around them.Due to the variety of individuals which make up the Deaf culture, it is not uncommon for individuals to associate with another culture (such as race) before that of Deafness. This doesn’t stop members from being closely connected and supportive of each other, though. Deaf culture is a treasured identity for those who ascribe to it, and it will remain so for many generations to come.