Deaf People and Society incorporates multiple perspectives related to the topics of psychology, education, and sociology, including the viewpoints of deaf adults themselves. In doing so, it considers the implications of what it means to be deaf or hard of hearing and how deaf adults’ lives are impacted by decisions that professionals make, whether in the clinic, the school, or when working with family. This second edition has been thoroughly revised and offers current perspectives on the following topics: Etiologies of deafness and the identification process The role of auditory access Cognition, language, communication, and literacy Bilingual, bilingual/bimodal, and monolingual approaches to language learning Educational, legal, and placement aspects Childhood psychological issues Psychological and sociological viewpoints of deaf adults The criminal justice system and deaf people Psychodynamics of interaction between deaf and hearing people Each chapter begins with a set of objectives and concludes with suggested readings for further research. This edition contains 10 new and original case studies, including ones on hearing children of deaf adults, sudden hearing loss, a young deaf adult with mental illness, and more. Written by a seasoned deaf/hearing bilingual team, this unique text continues to be the go-to resource for students and future professionals interested in working with deaf and hard-of-hearing persons.

Deaf People and Society is an authoritative text that emphasizes the complexities of being D/deaf, DeafBlind, Deaf-Disabled, or hard of hearing, drawing on perspectives from psychology, education, and sociology. This book also explores how the lives of these individuals are impacted by decisions made by professionals in clinics, schools, or other settings. This new edition offers insights on areas critical to Deaf Studies and Disability Studies, with particular emphasis on multiculturalism and multilingualism, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion. Accessibly written, the chapters include objectives and suggested further reading that provides valuable leads and context. Additionally, these chapters have been thoroughly revised and incorporate a range of relevant topics including etiologies of deafness; cognition and communication; bilingual, bimodal, and monolingual approaches to language learning; childhood psychological issues; psychological and sociological viewpoints of deaf adults; the criminal justice system and deaf people; psychodynamics of interaction between deaf and hearing people; and future trends. The book also includes case studies covering hearing children of deaf adults, a young deaf adult with mental illness, and more. Written by a seasoned D/deaf/hard of hearing and hearing bilingual team, this unique text continues to be the go-to resource for students and future professionals interested in working with D/deaf, DeafBlind, and hard-of-hearing persons. Its contents will resonate with anyone interested in serving and enhancing their knowledge of their lived experiences of D/deaf, DeafBlind, Deaf-Disabled, and hard-of-hearing people and communities.

This book is a comprehensive and up-to-date treatment of the major psychological, social, and educational issues affecting the lives of children, adolescents, and adults who are deaf and hard of hearing, and their families. Psychological, Social, and Educational Dimensions of Deafness presents an inclusive description of current research and practice that is complemented by the voices of individuals through personal essays that highlight and illustrate significant concepts and trends. Professionals and pre-professionals preparing for roles in education, psychology, counseling, rehabilitation, interpreting, and speech and hearing science will find the book timely, readable, and thorough. Each chapter focuses on a topic relevant to the broad scope of issues related to the lifelong development of individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing. The chapters can also provide in-depth discussion and offers a core of current information from which instructors and readers can apply both personal and professional experiences. For therapists, counselors or psychologists working with people who are deaf and their families, or anyone interested in gaining more knowledge on deafness.

In Plato's cratylus, which dates to 360 B.C., Socrates alludes to the use of signs by deaf people. In his Natural History, completed in 79 A.D., Pliny the Elder alludes to Quintus Pedius, the deaf son of a Roman consul, who had to seek permission from Caesar Augustus to pursue his training as an artist. During the Renaissance, scores of deaf people achieved fame throughout Europe, and by the middle of the 17th century the talents and communication systems of deaf people were being studied by a variety of noted scientists and philosophers. However, the role of deaf people in society has always been hotly debated: could they be educated? Should they be educated? If so, how? How does Deaf culture exist within larger communities? What do advances in the technology and the genetics of hearing loss portend for Deaf communities? In this landmark volume, a wide range of international experts present a comprehensive and accessible overview of the diverse field of deaf studies, language, and education. Pairing practical information with detailed analyses of what works, why, and for whom, and banishing the paternalism once intrinsic to the field, the handbook consists of specially commissioned essays on topics such as language and language development, hearing and speech perception, education, literacy, cognition, and the complex cultural, social, and psychological issues associated with individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Through careful planning, collaboration, and editing, the various topics are interwoven in a manner that allows the reader to understand the current status of research in the field and recognize the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead, providing the most comprehensive reference resource on deaf issues. Written to be accessible to students and practitioners as well as researchers, The Oxford Handbook of Deaf Studies, Language, and Education is a uniquely ambitious work that will alter both theoretical and applied landscapes. It surveys a field that has grown dramatically over the past 40 years, since sign languages were first recognized by scientists to be true languages. From work on the linguistics of sign language and parent-child interactions to analyses of school placement and the mapping of brain function in deaf individuals, research across a wide range of disciplines has greatly expanded not just our knowledge of deafness and the deaf, but of the very origins of language, social interaction, and thinking. Bringing together historical information, research, and strategies for teaching and service provision, Marc Marschark and Patricia Elizabeth Spencer have given us what is certain to become the benchmark reference in the field.

This edited book presents an detailed analysis of the experience of deaf people as a bilingual-bicultural minority group in America. An overview of mainstream research on bilingualism and biculturalism is followed by specific research and conceptual analyses which examine the impact of cultural and language diversity on the experiences of deaf people. The book ends with poignant personal reflections from deaf community members. The contributors include prominent deaf and hearing experts in bilingualism, ASL and Deaf culture, and deaf education.

Weaving together lyrical history and personal memoir, Virdi powerfully examines society’s—and her own—perception of life as a deaf person in America. At the age of four, Jaipreet Virdi’s world went silent. A severe case of meningitis left her alive but deaf, suddenly treated differently by everyone. Her deafness downplayed by society and doctors, she struggled to “pass” as hearing for most of her life. Countless cures, treatments, and technologies led to dead ends. Never quite deaf enough for the Deaf community or quite hearing enough for the “normal” majority, Virdi was stuck in aural limbo for years. It wasn’t until her thirties, exasperated by problems with new digital hearing aids, that she began to actively assert her deafness and reexamine society’s—and her own—perception of life as a deaf person in America. Through lyrical history and personal memoir, Hearing Happiness raises pivotal questions about deafness in American society and the endless quest for a cure. Taking us from the 1860s up to the present, Virdi combs archives and museums to understand the long history of curious cures: ear trumpets, violet ray apparatuses, vibrating massagers, electrotherapy machines, airplane diving, bloodletting, skull hammering, and many more. Hundreds of procedures and products have promised grand miracles but always failed to deliver a universal cure—a harmful legacy that is still present in contemporary biomedicine. Blending Virdi’s own experiences together with her exploration into the fascinating history of deafness cures, Hearing Happiness is a powerful story that America needs to hear. Praise for Hearing Happiness “In part a critical memoir of her own life, this archival tour de force centers on d/Deafness, and, specifically, the obsessive search for a “cure”. . . . This survey of cure and its politics, framed by disability studies, allows readers—either for the first time or as a stunning example in the field—to think about how notions of remediation are leveraged against the most vulnerable.” —Public Books “Engaging. . . . A sweeping chronology of human deafness fortified with the author’s personal struggles and triumphs.” —Kirkus Reviews “Part memoir, part historical monograph, Virdi’s Hearing Happiness breaks the mold for academic press publications.” —Publishers Weekly “In her insightful book, Virdi probes how society perceives deafness and challenges the idea that a disability is a deficit. . . . [She] powerfully demonstrates how cures for deafness pressure individuals to change, to “be better.” —Washington Post

The Politics of Visual Language is a ground-breaking study of the political socialization of children who are deaf. Debate has raged for years over how to educate the prelingually deaf - those children who cannot acquire language "normally" (that is, orally and aurally). While the battlelines have been drawn by the proponents of oralism versus manualism and their hearing supporters, two linguistic dilemmas facing D/deaf people remain constant: a conscious choice is always made for them as to the way they will be taught, and either method of language acquisition results in a form of marginalization.

A postmodern treatment of deafness, drawing examples from Wrigley's decade among the deaf community in Thailand. He describes how the deaf are colonized and marginalized by the hearing, confutes the notion of deafness as physical deficiency, and based on the opportunities opened by cyberspace challenges the assumption that language is serially ordered and dependent on sound. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR