what I have been taught about deaf culture

A

apathrev

Guest
In training for my job, we had a total of 8 hours of deaf culture awareness. This involved a couple of videos, lessons on how to translate ASL syntax, aracteristics of the culture, etc. It was what helped to get me interested in deaf culture. There were several generalizations made, and it got me interested, from a sociological standpoint. Here are some examples of what we were taught:

Deaf are more open and honest about things (example: how much someone paid for something, someone's appearance, etc)

The American deaf community is more of a collectivist society when compared to mainstream America, who were considered more individualistic.

In conversation, it is considered rude to not honestly comment on someone's appearance.

Concluding a conversation isn't as simple as "bye" but there are several more responses too each other, when someone is ready to end the conversation.

I just wanted to throw this out in the open, and see what comments you have towards these generalizations.
 
your right on the honest part and the open part oof your post

as a deaf person i can tell you that deaf people are more open and honest about what hearies tend to be dishonest about because of feelings, deaf people have their feelings hurt so much that it causes us not to care so much about the thought, but to care about the meaning of what people are saying to us . think of it this way do you like being lied to ? i don't so i don't lie to anyone else ' when i sing you look good today i mean it . and when i sign you look like shit today ' i mean it . theres only one thing wrong most of the people around me don't understand sing ' so they don't know what the hell i'm saying ' anyhow back to the subject ; i was once a hearie, so i do know what i'm talking about . the deaf people do not think or act like the hearing we are deffently different in our ways of life but we are the same as human beings . its important not to forget that though there are differences we are the same as people and we should be treated as so . proud to be :deaf:
 
deafman6975 said:
as a deaf person i can tell you that deaf people are more open and honest about what hearies tend to be dishonest about because of feelings, deaf people have their feelings hurt so much that it causes us not to care so much about the thought, but to care about the meaning of what people are saying to us . think of it this way do you like being lied to ? i don't so i don't lie to anyone else ' when i sing you look good today i mean it . and when i sign you look like shit today ' i mean it . theres only one thing wrong most of the people around me don't understand sing ' so they don't know what the hell i'm saying ' anyhow back to the subject ; i was once a hearie, so i do know what i'm talking about . the deaf people do not think or act like the hearing we are deffently different in our ways of life but we are the same as human beings . its important not to forget that though there are differences we are the same as people and we should be treated as so . proud to be :deaf:
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Whao!. That's deep!.

I am a hearing person, but I do feel the same way as you!.
I say what I mean & mean what I say. ;)
I don't like being lied to, so I don't lie to people either.
I just tell them straight forward.
If you look good, I also mean it when I say, &
if you look like crap or junk,
I will tell you that to your face!.
I also treat everyone else as equals, no one is less or more
in my book!. :)

Aloha.

Anne. :)
 
Honesty and straightforwardness is something to be admired, regardless of hearing or deaf. Life is too short to worry about hurt feelings.
 
u & I have same thought patterns.

cental34 said:
Honesty and straightforwardness is something to be admired, regardless of hearing or deaf. Life is too short to worry about hurt feelings.
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Thanks!.

My thoughts, exactly!.

"Honesty is always the best policy".

Thanks for replying back.

Anne. :)
 
I think the word y'all are looking for is "BLUNT"
 
Ok. Deaf people are blunt. I guess us hearies just like to sugar coat things.
 
I will second that, agreeing that Deaf people are definately blunt. My Deaf friend told my mom once... "Wow, you have gained weight!" after he hadnt seen her for 2 years......... :lol: ......... my mom was like :Oops: ..... uhhhh ..... thank you ??? :lol:

Teg
 
One more thing I remembered we were taught: deaf people do not like to be referred to as disabled. I'm very interested to hear comments on this.
 
tegumi said:
I will second that, agreeing that Deaf people are definately blunt. My Deaf friend told my mom once... "Wow, you have gained weight!" after he hadnt seen her for 2 years......... :lol: ......... my mom was like :Oops: ..... uhhhh ..... thank you ??? :lol:

Teg
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It is true that deaf people are more blunt, hehe, though that seems to be more true among uneducated deaf, at least in my experience. Maybe the more educated deaf ppl have learned the "hearing way" of talking about issues; though, I am not saying that is the better way.
Lol.. one time, I was chatting with a deaf friend of mine, and an older deaf lady, ex-hippie, who sign with a very difficult to understand mix of SEE, PSE, and ASL, saw us chatting, and through the course of what I would call the "deafie interrogation," found out that my dad was a cop. She said "well, I saw on TV that cops abuse their families, does your dad abuse you and your family?"
This was when I was taking my 2nd semester of ASL, and still had much more to learn about deaf culture, and I was just blown away. I answered her, and I wasn't offended, just... surprised.
 
One more thing I remembered we were taught: deaf people do not like to be referred to as disabled.
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Ain't that the truth! So many deafies like to use the quote "I can do anything but hear", yet are first in line to cash their Social Security DISABILITY Income checks.
 
Eve, do you have ANY basis for that statement? I am VERY offended...yeah there are some slackers out there, but a lot of those on disabilty are the ones who have multiple health issues, and I mean it wouldn't surprise me one iota if most of the dhh people on disabilty were the ones who were raised oral. Being oral means you have a dependancy on good quality healthcare, and that's something that's wicked hard to get in America since we don't have universal health care! Pure oral people cannot function without their hearing aids or CIs....the devices which supposely give them "freedom"
 
all deafies must read this and post your oppinion

dear eve i'm just woundering are you deaf or hoh. now about your comment. i happen to work in a store that cashes checks; and to this day i'v not seen not one deaf person cash a ss check ' but what i have seen is alot of dead beats , that i know are drug users and alcholics, that can work ,but don't, i've seen people that are over weight (most by not watching what they eat not because of real health issues like thyroid, once i watch this person walk from the check both to my counter and bought nothing but candy bars now :wtf: thats just some examples of what i have witnessed whith the ss checks. now back to the deafies, have you any idea what a deaf person goes through in one days time ' and i beat if we took a pole 99 out of 100 deafies would tell you we don't want symphty we want understanding. i realy don't care what you lable me as but befor you insinuate that deafies just want a free ride or somthing now what your talking about . we are deafies living in a hearie world its not as easy as you may think to make a living when live in silence. you know what i find funny is that the hearing world still exspects the deaf world to comunicate with them and i beat there are more deafies that can read and right and do try to talk oral then there are hearies that even try to learn one simple sing . i'm not talking about all hearing people just the majarity. hey deafdyke you hit the nail on top about the oral subject. one more question if you don't mind eve what is your reason being on this site it sounds to me that you have problems with the deaf .
 
Eve, do you have ANY basis for that statement?
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deafdyke, I am sorry if you find offense at my statement, but please take note that I did NOT say ALL deafies, just many. It just amazes me that some of the same deafies that throw fits over being called disabled are the same ones who do rely on SSDI. And, yes, I could point my finger at a few individuals that most of us know online, but I will refrain.

dear eve i'm just woundering are you deaf or hoh.
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deafman6975, i am hoh and married to a deaf man. neither of us collect ssdi and i don't personally consider myself as "disabled", but i also don't do anything to perpetuate the thought that i am. i agree that there are plenty of hearies that abuse the system, but the statement was concerning those of us (referring to deafies) who don't want to be labeled as "disabled" yet have no problem taking money for "disability", to me it is rather hypocritical to do so.
i realy don't care what you lable me as but befor you insinuate that deafies just want a free ride or somthing now what your talking about .
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I was not labeling you. I don't even know you. I wasn't even labeling all deafies, only "many". And yes, many just want a free ride and aren't willing to expand their horizons by taking the opportunity to enhance their education in order to learn a new trade and not be so dependent on the system.
i'm not talking about all hearing people just the majarity.
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And I'm not talking about all deaf people, possibly not even the majority.
one more question if you don't mind eve what is your reason being on this site it sounds to me that you have problems with the deaf .
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Wrong, I have problems with hypocrits and I have no idea whether or not you fall into that catagory. I obviously have no problem with the deaf or I would have a problem with myself, my husband, and our children. I also would not rely on the use of sign language in my own home if I were opposed to anything deaf related. I am probably here for the same reasons you are, to share and learn. One thing I do have a problem with is when hearies come to sites like these and see a bunch of dumbass deafies whining and looking for pity, and leaving here with the assumption that we are all that way. I think it is important for those of us with an ounce of intelligence to disuade this line of thought concerning the deaf.
 
that I did NOT say ALL deafies, just many.
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Tone it down and say SOME, not many. Yeah, I see abuse of the system...Virtually everyone does. Even a libral democrat "we need government funding" for everything would have to admit that there's abuse.
However, quite a few of those deafies are getting medicaid so they can get good quality health care. We don't have universal health care in our country, and it would be impossible for a dhh person to get insurance cheaply (we're high risk b/c of the CI operation) There are some extreme cases, but many dhh people manage to stay off of disabilty! There's nothing wrong per se with disabilty....I'm getting disabilty both b/c most private health care companies don't cover hearing aids, and b/c I can't find a job that makes enough money to cover both basic costs of living AND the increased costs of my disabilties. There are a signifcient percentage of dhh people with additional health problems.....
 
I agree with Eve relating to how so many Deafies would not consider themselves to be disabled but be first to stand in the line for SSA/SSDI cheques.

I am tired of seeing deaf people giving up too easily or just accepting what hearing people tell them relating to job situations. I have seen some deafies holding such a grudge or hatred against the hearies, to a point that actually disables them (social-wise) by not being able to work for hearing people. What we really need to so is to educate the hearing people in a nicer way, and explain to them that we are more than capable to do the jobs. Explain to them that communication is not the number one priority as they may seem to believe so, and also that there are many other forms of communication that can be done to make oneself understood. I have worked in many places which involved interacting with hearing customers and all I had to do was smile, explain that I am deaf, and asked them if they minded if we wrote. For the most part, the customers never had problems with that. It's all a matter of attitude and how you present yourself to the world, plus how you react to ignorance in the mainstream society by explaining to them you understand why they think that way and why it is not the case, etc...
 
I agree that hearing people need to be educated better about deafness. I didn’t know anything about it until took ASL classes. I didn’t even know there was a Deaf Community. It seems like basic knowledge now but back then I had no clue. Before I had ASL I thought of deaf people as disabled because I didn’t know any better but now it makes you really think about who’s really disabled and who’s not.
 
I have seen some deafies holding such a grudge or hatred against the hearies, to a point that actually disables them (social-wise) by not being able to work for hearing people.
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On the other hand I think that hearing society does owe us to an extent. THEY are the ones who poorly educated us, they are the ones who insisted that hearing and speaking were key to good jobs and a good education.
I don't hate hearies, and I don't hold a grudge against them....most of my friends are hearing and I've been in the hearing world. I just don't like the experts who are wicked audist.
 
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