Date of Award
Spring 2013
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Major
Educational Studies & Anthropology
First Advisor
Educational Studies Faculty
Abstract
How does American Sign Language influence the discovery of self and identity in Deaf adults? My thesis argues that American Sign Language is an intricate part of Deaf identity and deaf children and their families need to begin to learn American Sign Language upon discovery of hearing loss. Not only does it serve as a form of communication that is the most natural and practical, but it also serves as a cultural bond. This was an ethnographic study with interviews of pairs and individuals. I found that there was often a conflict between Deaf and hearing culture. There were also rifts between families because of a lack of communication. This paper is to draw attention to how important American Sign Language is to Deaf identity, culture, and community.
Recommended Citation
Malenfant, Hannah, "American Sign Language: Culture, Community, & Identity". Senior Theses, Trinity College, Hartford, CT 2013.
Trinity College Digital Repository, https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/theses/346
Included in
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, Disability and Equity in Education Commons
Comments
Senior thesis completed for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Educational Studies & Anthropology.