Ethnic Group or Disability?

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alexisdg

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Hey I'm doing a story on Deaf Culture in Massachusetts and I was really interested in the controversy involving Deafness being part of an ethnic group and not a disability.

I'd like to know how everyone feels about it personally, Tell me whether you are deaf or hearing and then whether you think Deafness is a component of an ethnic group and not a disability and explain why.

For me personally I believe that Deaf culture should be considered an ethnic group and not a disability because it consists of it's own language, ASL so to me to say that deafness is a disability in America is the equivalent of considering someone who only speaks spanish and no english is a disability as well. Tell me what you think

thanks
 
Ethnic group??? no.

Cultural/linguistic group? Yes.

Disability? Only if you let it be.

Do some research, there is so much written about this on the net and in libraries, whatever you get from us schmoes would pale in comparison.

BTW, this is not really controversial or open for debate. It's fairly well established that the Deaf community is a thriving culture.

Read: Deaf in America: Voices from a Culture and When the Mind Hears
 
TheWriteAlex said:
Ethnic group??? no.

Cultural/linguistic group? Yes.

Disability? Only if you let it be.

Do some research, there is so much written about this on the net and in libraries, whatever you get from us schmoes would pale in comparison.

BTW, this is not really controversial or open for debate. It's fairly well established that the Deaf community is a thriving culture.

Read: Deaf in America: Voices from a Culture and When the Mind Hears
Click to expand...

Exactly. Deafness is considered by most to be a cultural and linguistic difference. Within that cultural and linguistic group are numerous ethnicities.:giggle:
 
May I ask what field of study you are doing this for?

Different studies have different meanings for ethnicity... I know Anthropology has a different definition from History-- whereas Anthology define it in a sense of racial or heritage, while History defines it in a cultural/lingual sense.
 
I wasn't aware of the difference in definition from the field of history. I have always used the anthropological definition. Perhaps because I had a minor in anthropology as an undergrad.:giggle:
 
A lot of it have to do with mobility of people, I think.

Like for example... Hispanic isn't a racial group of any sort since it's a mixed background of indigenous, blacks, Europeans (of anywhere from Spanish, Germans, Jews, Ukranians and so on) but they are considered as an "ethnic group" because they all share the same language and cultural identity despite their differing heritages.

Or you have those crazy Enlightenment philosophers that are considered as racially "Russian" or "German," by blood and birthplace, but are considered culturally "French."
 
Did a little poking around and souggy is right! The definition that does not take into account biological ties is obscure, but still valid.

Hmm, this is actually quite interesting to think of Deaf culture as an ethnic group...:hmm:
 
TheWriteAlex said:
Did a little poking around and souggy is right! The definition that does not take into account biological ties is obscure, but still valid.

Hmm, this is actually quite interesting to think of Deaf culture as an ethnic group...:hmm:
Click to expand...

Score for the History/English Literature student who once dated an Anthropology major!
 
souggy said:
Score for the History/English Literature student who once dated an Anthropology major!
Click to expand...

:applause: And the crowd goes wild!

An English Lit major???

What in the world gave you the crazy idea to pursue that?

:D
 
TheWriteAlex said:
Did a little poking around and souggy is right! The definition that does not take into account biological ties is obscure, but still valid.

Hmm, this is actually quite interesting to think of Deaf culture as an ethnic group...:hmm:
Click to expand...

Yo , Deafie! :P Now we need some sort of official dress code. I would propose tie dye as the official indication of Deaf cultural status. (please)
 
Bottesini said:
Yo , Deafie! :P Now we need some sort of official dress code. I would propose tie dye as the official indication of Deaf cultural status. (please)
Click to expand...

Ohhh...I love that idea! I second Bott's proposal.
 
Bottesini said:
Yo , Deafie! :P Now we need some sort of official dress code. I would propose tie dye as the official indication of Deaf cultural status. (please)
Click to expand...

I think some of our low vision brethren might object to the visual noise...:giggle:
 
If all the deaf people walk around with tie-dye, I would be:

"What's the hell with all the hippies and anarchists?"
 
Bottesini said:
Yo , Deafie! :P Now we need some sort of official dress code. I would propose tie dye as the official indication of Deaf cultural status. (please)
Click to expand...

Yes! We could be like the Lithuanian basketball team!!!
 
Apparently this is Lithuania's uniform?

grateful-dead-lithuanian.jpg
 
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