Cult?

[Ginette]

Is Deaf Culture a Cult?

I thought I'd add something new.

Is Deaf Culture a Cult?
I've collaborated information that I found while surfing the web.
Keep in mind, what I post is not necessarily my view.
A cult is defined as a devoted attachment to a principle, group etc

The Deaf community is often split between those who embrace a deaf lifestyle-using sign language and consider themselves similar to an ethnic minority and those who emphasize assimilation into the mainstream.

Many Deaf culture advocates believe that hearing impaired people who read lips and speak are acquiescing to the expectations of the hearing world. Take Miss America for example, she was denounced by some Deaf Militants because she speaks, making her, in their eyes unsuitable to represent the deaf.

Deaf people seem to be particularly critical of deaf/hoh who chose to read lips and speak instead of ASL.

Some extreme views of the Deaf Culture are;
*Catagorically insisting that hearing aids are bad
*You can't get a decent education in a mainstream school.
*deaf that try to talk are less valid that those who only sign
*The only deaf people that are truly disabled are those who learn spoken english instead of sign.


Check out : http://www.alanapost.com/weblog/archives/001364.html
It is an article that puts down Deaf Culture.

I personally feel that the Deaf, deaf, HoH, and hoh, need to get past the labelling and stereotyping. Let's just accept each other for who we are, regardless of our chosen language or path. When it comes down to it, we don't have all five senses.
Deaf Culture should stop trying to impose it's will on everyone else. No More Outsiders.
For those of you who choose to read the article, please let me know your opinion.
Also just another question, do you feel accepted by the Deaf Culture? Why or Why not?

 

[Maria]

I thought I'd add something new.

Is Deaf Culture a Cult?
I've collaborated information that I found while surfing the web.
Keep in mind, what I post is not necessarily my view.
A cult is defined as a devoted attachment to a principle, group etc

The Deaf community is often split between those who embrace a deaf lifestyle-using sign language and consider themselves similar to an ethnic minority and those who emphasize assimilation into the mainstream.

Many Deaf culture advocates believe that hearing impaired people who read lips and speak are acquiescing to the expectations of the hearing world. Take Miss America for example, she was denounced by some Deaf Militants because she speaks, making her, in their eyes unsuitable to represent the deaf.

Deaf people seem to be particularly critical of deaf/hoh who chose to read lips and speak instead of ASL.

Some extreme views of the Deaf Culture are;
*Catagorically insisting that hearing aids are bad
*You can't get a decent education in a mainstream school.
*deaf that try to talk are less valid that those who only sign
*The only deaf people that are truly disabled are those who learn spoken english instead of sign.


Check out : http://www.alanapost.com/weblog/archives/001364.html
It is an article that puts down Deaf Culture.

I personally feel that the Deaf, deaf, HoH, and hoh, need to get past the labelling and stereotyping. Let's just accept each other for who we are, regardless of our chosen language or path. When it comes down to it, we don't have all five senses.
Deaf Culture should stop trying to impose it's will on everyone else. No More Outsiders.
For those of you who choose to read the article, please let me know your opinion.
Also just another question, do you feel accepted by the Deaf Culture? Why or Why not?

Thanks for postin' it in this thread. Wow ! That's pretty heavy discussion. lol ! Well, as its for me, I never thought of the word "cult" about deaf culture. I grew up in both ways...hearin' and deaf worlds. I accept them for what they are. To me about the word "cult"...there's no such "cult" in this matter. It matters what they feels and be comfortable with what they sees in their views. They have to try to understand each other's feelings and respect it in any way. If, they are happy with it, then let them be. Think about "clones"...that's something else I am against, but the scientists who developed "clones" are still keep goin' on and no one says anything about it. Should we allow "Clone Culture"...or what ? lol ! That's something we should consider for an example.

 

[DreamDeaf]

Deaf Culture Cult

Wow! To think Im part of a cult!!! Greatsie! Who's the cult guru of this?

Heh...



DD

 

[LUNZ]

cult? i dont like that words. that is lame.

 

[gnarlydorkette]

I posted a message on that blog because I am SO tired of people passing their final judgments on something that they don't know PERSONALLY. This person claimed s/he knows enough because s/he watched documentary and read couple books... [SCOFFING] That is not the good way to LEARN a culture. One must be an authentic anthropologist by PARTAKING in their culture, daily lifestyles etc... walking in THEIR shoes before one can make any of narrow-minded remarks. My goodness, what has this world came to?!

"That is one harsh entry.
I have a question- are you deaf or know anybody close deaf?
From reading your entry where you mentioned that deaf didn't want any outsiders I would assume that you encountered several deafies who weren't friendly towards to you. But that shouldn't be the case that you should make your final judgment. EVERYBODY IS DIFFERENT. It goes the same for the deaf population. Don't pass the same judgment because you met some bad apples to those deaf folks who are more open-minded.

I am Deaf myself but I am not considered "Deaf" by those in that.. "cult" as you called it because I didn't grow in residental deaf schools but I still take pride in my uniqueness.


YOu said you learned about deaf culture etc etc but HAVE YOU EVER MET AND GOT TO KNOW A DEAF PERSON PERSONALLY?

Don't get on the soapbox until you have walked a mile in their shoes.

There are more hidden truth in the deaf backgrounds. I could start preaching on you on the abuse and oppression BY HEARING PEOPLE But I know that it is NOT YOUR FAULT just because you are hearing. Why cannot you do the same for every other deaf person?

You are too judgemental.

If you think being a deaf is dysfunctional then I would say that a narrow-minded hearing person is worser than a deaf person.
I am sorry that you were not be able to be a truly anthropologist with an authenic exposure of an unique culture of Deaf. I hope this doesn't cripple you from accepting and enrichening all different cultures in the world. I am so sorry for you.

I am TRYING to be fair in my blog by not passing any final judgments, and I haven't heard anybody objecting to my opinions which I declared a disclaimer about those subjects, that I made my opinions upon, were not exactly 100% accurate because it was from my perspective of observing so therefore I was aware my opinions were BIASED.

STAY NEUTRAL, PEOPLE, NEUTRAL! It is the best way to go. Piss off nobody.

 

[VamPyroX]

Cults!? I'm offended! Let's lynch her! *sobbing*

 

[gnarlydorkette]

Alana's Respond~

Listen, I know you were just posting because you somehow stumbled across an
entry that I probably wrote over a year ago and somehow felt compelled to
let me know exactly what you think of me and how closeminded I am, and
really I am (somewhat) thankful that you took the time to put down an
articulate and well meaning response.

I made that entry provocative deliberately and obviously it's sparked quite
a reaction.

I could say that I'm sorry that you're deaf, and that I don't think that you
are automatically a less educated or less capable person because of it, but
I got the feeling from your comment that you believe that being deaf is like
being Chinese or gay or left-handed... just a particular trait, likely
inherited, that nobody can help... and anyone who thinks "Wow, that's kind
of shitty" is nothing but a bigot. (To be perfectly clear, I don't think
that there is anything that is inherently shitty about being Chinese, gay,
or left-handed.)

The truth is that I am never expecting to get an email from a single deaf
person saying 'yeah, I wish I could hear. It would be pretty awesome if I
could experience something like that, and I would never want to deprive my
child of something just because I personally have no basis for evaluating
its worth.'

I'm expecting that leaving comments open on all of my old entries is going
to mean a steady trickle of comments from deaf people and college freshmen
taking their first ASL course, all righteously indignant and
holier-than-thou, guns loaded and fully prepared to devote a few minutes to
trying to take me down a peg, or whatever compells people to post comments
on weblogs that assume personal things about the author's ability to
tolerate other "cultures". And about the whole "deaf with a capital D" and
"culture this, culture that" thing-- since I still see no reason why being
deaf isn't being disabled, and deaf culture is a culture based around a
disability and therefore is only relevent to hearing people in the manner
that the culture of poverty is relevant (and in a way, deaf culture IS a
culture of poverty... a state of being defined by lack) to non-indigent
people (that is to say, relevant only as a learning tool..."deaf pride" and
"pauper pride" have been equally unsuccessful), and until the glorious day
when it is proven that deaf people aren't missing out on anything, there
will never be a sane reason for people to celebrate their malfunctioning
body parts.

Regards,
Alana

hm. Should I make a respond and ask her who create the "disability" label in the first place? We may be called, as a people, disability but the irony lies in the fact that we don't have all ... "privileges" (not the right word... rights? no... hm maybe "rights" is a better term) of being disabled such as having a disabled parking permit, etc. We somehow are NOT disabled to the full degree because we are able to perform [almost... 99.8% of] everything despite the fact that we lack one vital sense of hearing. We are the minority that falls through the crack of proper labelling and rights. We are not hearing. We are not -really- disabled (for the most of the population) physically. We are only disabled when it comes to understand people vocally- but most of us are defying that disabled definition of us not being able to be vocal due to our trained eyes to catch every letters being mouthed out by others. So we are now -not exactly- disabled because we are able to voice out and fathom their voices. So what are we now? Should we dare to re-label ourselves as "semi-disabled" and let everybody settle down about whether we are actually disabled or presumed to be disabled fixtated by the majority of people who has an ethnocentrism preception upon us, the lost minority.
What does make a culture culture? What is the prerequistes for a certain group to pass by as "culture"? It is not enough that there are a certain population of people speaking the same "native" tongue ("hands" should be said in this case )?
There are just too many of you passing varying judgments that we either are not exceeding to their standards of definitions or underestimating our potential to be a successful "culture"... We cannot satisify all of your judgements so that is why there are most of us attributing ourselves to "deaf culture" because apparently the hearing "culture", if there is any, doesn't accept us and see us as outsiders, "freaks" to most of that group, so ... for years the hearing group have been tried to forecfully us to be submissive and absorb the majority culture but we cannot successful accept the majority because we know in our minds that we are NOT the majority. We are not bullshitting ourselves. We know we are different and we choose to unite and create our own group where nobody is forcing anybody to feign their own true identity. Alas, just like every other ethnic groups there are always subdivisions within in a group. We do have several subdivisions- Militant Deafs, deafs, HoH, CODA to name a few.

Hm...

Yes deaf people do have their own culture. There is just too many evidences that one cannot deny that it doesn't have the traits to be qualified as a culture. If we are being denied... then all other minorities should have never passed as cultures.

Maybe I should major in anthrolopogy

 

[Maria]

Cults!? I'm offended! Let's lynch her! *sobbing*

For real ? LOL !! I highly doubt it.

 

[Liza]

cult? i dont like that words. that is lame.

I know, cults usually have a negative meaning to them. It does not have to mean that way, though.

When something is considered a cult, you also have to consider the person who considers it a cult. That person may not know enough about that way of life, or a culture - or she/he has not connected with it from a heart based place. Or that person's beliefs are different from what the culture or religion stands for.

 

[Liza]

hm. Should I make a respond and ask her who create the "disability" label in the first place?

Probably.

However, remind her that you can agree to disagree and that you do have your own definition of deaf culture. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[Liza]

Wow! To think Im part of a cult!!! Greatsie! Who's the cult guru of this?

Heh...



DD

Me!

 

[Liza]

I personally feel that the Deaf, deaf, HoH, and hoh, need to get past the labelling and stereotyping. Let's just accept each other for who we are, regardless of our chosen language or path. When it comes down to it, we don't have all five senses. Deaf Culture should stop trying to impose it's will on everyone else. No More Outsiders. For those of you who choose to read the article, please let me know your opinion. Also just another question, do you feel accepted by the Deaf Culture? Why or Why not?

In some ways I feel accepted, and some ways I don't feel accepted. Why? Well, I've always created my own identity all of my life. To some people that is rather odd. I've had my signing quality called odd, and one even said I sign like a foreigner.. even asked if I were from another country. That is pretty hurtful to me. I know I sign fluently, and I must say that I know more than Koko did. Hehe.. Some deaf people can be very insensitive, and they think they have the invitation to hurt others without consideration. I do not accept that so called deaf trait at all. If it is really a part of Deaf culture, then I don't want to be part of it. Period. I will not support a culture that will teach my children blatant prejudice and such insensitivity. But on a more positive side, I have met some pretty neat deaf people that have awe-inspiring personalities. There is always positive and negative things to everything in life, I believe, and Deaf Culture is not excluded from this. Some people will rather look more into the negativity more than the positive. Oh well. I do like the ASL storytelling.

Keep in mind I have attended res school most of my life, and even graduated from gally. I have gotten involved in a lot of deaf activities. I wrote for Buff n Blue for a year. I have deaf friends. I am not a strong oralist, meaning I am not skilled at reading lips nor can I utter coherent sentences in a row. I am used to being independent, and I'll write down whatever I need or to chat with other people who dont know ASL or signed English. I carry a PDA with me for that purpose.

I agree with you that we should not force each other to fulfill certain standards, but to allow each other to flourish with our own identities that we have personally forged for ourselves individually. Same goes for the other side that think deaf people should think of deafness as a disability as they do. Have you noticed how others ridcule others for not thinking deafness is a disability? I think that IS pretty sad, too.

The world is changing and more things are possible everyday.

 

[LUNZ]

I know, cults usually have a negative meaning to them. It does not have to mean that way, though.

When something is considered a cult, you also have to consider the person who considers it a cult. That person may not know enough about that way of life, or a culture - or she/he has not connected with it from a heart based place. Or that person's beliefs are different from what the culture or religion stands for.

True.