Return-Path: <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id e9QDH8929208; Thu, 26 Oct 2000 09:17:08 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2000 09:17:08 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <004301c03f4f$54d22b80$35a51c3f@cbking> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Catherine King" <cb.king@verizon.net> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-POVRACELIT:244] Deafness as Culture: A Question X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; Status: O Content-Length: 14378 Lines: 358 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0040_01C03F14.7337B3A0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable To Kate, who asks about culture and group identities, especially where deaf persons consider themselves as a different "culture." Perhaps it would help to relate "culture" to two things: First as we would a "cultured" pearl, where, instead of growing in the wild, its development comes under conscious control with an aim at excellence. Second, as deTocqueville knew so well, a democracy of individuals who live in a plural political climate gain our sense of who we are through the collective voice of a group, or different kinds of groups, we associate with. These groups are either a part of our historical condition we cannot change (like deafness) or they are chosen by our interests in a wide range of selections, like clubs, college associations, political affiliations, either loosely identified with or very strongly identified with. These group associations are kinds of identities, and can have negative reasons to be, like gangs, or racist organizations like the KKK. But in our "culture," what it means to be "plural" is that we are, as you say, individual, but we also are a culture of groups. We live in the tension between these two kinds of identities. In other words, we live in the tension between being individual, alone, isolated, self-determined on the one hand, and, on the other hand, in being a member of a-or-many groups where we often have a like history of ***shared experiences*** have an automatic shared, starting point in that experience, companionship, a place for dialogue about problems and working out plans, etc. As you also seem aware of, belonging to a group also creates an automatic separation from others, but this is the tension we live in in our plural "culture." Those separations are not "hard" or structurally oppositional, but rather are usually fluid, communicative, and open. We are going through a very "democratic" time right now where hegemony on all fronts is being questioned, and where the deaf are but one "different" group, who don't share the same "normalities" that most of us do, and who are forming a collective association to claim some power in the voicing of their problems. Here in these groups and associations is where I presume the "individuality" that you so rightly cherish is experienced by many deaf people (and other groups) as utter isolation and systematic rejection by the larger group who doesn't think it is a separate group--but really is by virtue of how even the sidewalks are set up? That the deaf are willing to take collective stands around "deaf pride," says they have finally "gotten" the democratic spirit--that no matter what is "wrong," with them, they are politically and socially equal in this land. More power to them. And they are a "them," to me because I am not deaf. This is an equality that most of us share, but hardly know we have. But, like black people, or ***any*** group that has been sometimes forced into an associative mold (like racism or sexism) does to us, they/we ***don't experience freedom and equality in the same way that you apparently have.*** This is a systematic, everyday, every-conversation thing, and it has a tendency to wear a person raw--when we finally realize the subtle oppressions that have been going on--and in part precisely because so many, until the quiet revolution happens, are so oblivious to the oppression they- we are systematically involved in. So we press against the oppression by associating systematically with others like ourselves and who share those experiences that no one else does--deafness, a history of white-against black racism, sexism, anti- Semitism, etc., etc. What keeps order in our plural "culture," is that there are so many smaller group "cultures" (reflective developments like the pearl) who hopefully take it upon themselves to remain civilized and where their members can move in and out of different groups and into the vast loneliness of the general culture while still gaining sustenance from their group identities. I hope this helps. Not everyone has your experience, nor you theirs? Catherine King ----- Original Message ----- From: Kate Gladstone & Andrew S. Haber <kate@global2000.net> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2000 8:28 PM Subject: [NIFL-POVRACELIT:241] deafness as culture: a question I need answered > I suppose that, somewhere at the root of my feeling bothered over the > "deafness as culture" position, there lies the fact that this position puts > parents and children in different cultures, which seems unlike = "culture" as > we usually think of it. > > E.g., consider other things that we think of as "culture": > > we expect that people of Hispanic culture come from families of = Hispanic > culture, and will in turn - if they start families - start families of > Hispanic culture ... > > similarly for most of the entities that we think of as "culture." Most = of us > would find it very strange, at the least, to meet someone who said "I = am of > Hispanic culture, but my parents and grandparents, my brothers, my sisters, > my cousins and my children and grandchildren are not: I am the only = person > in my family who belongs to my culture" ... > > yet, if we consider deafness as a culture, then it seems we find = exactly > this situation. > > I don't know (and would like to know very much) how members of, say, > Hispanic culture (or other cultures with close family ties - = especially > extended-family ties) respond when a Hispanic person born deaf decides = to > culturally class him/herself with other deaf people: > in other words, when such a person decides that s/he does not (and never > did) belong to the same culture as the rest of his/her family. > > Can anyone inform me on this matter? > > > Yours for better letters, > Kate Gladstone - Handwriting Repair > kate@global2000.net, kate@WriteMe.com > http://www.global2000.net/handwritingrepair > 325 South Manning Boulevard > Albany, NY 12208-1731 > 518/482-6763 > AND REMEMBER ... > you can order books through my site! (Amazon.com link - I > get a 5% - 15% commission on each book sold) > > > > ------=_NextPart_000_0040_01C03F14.7337B3A0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2314.1000" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV><BR><BR>To Kate, who asks about culture and group = identities,<BR>especially=20 where deaf persons consider themselves as<BR>a different=20 "culture."<BR><BR>Perhaps it would help to relate "culture" to two=20 things:<BR>First as we would a "cultured" pearl, where, instead = of<BR>growing in=20 the wild, its development comes under<BR>conscious control with an aim = at=20 excellence.<BR><BR>Second, as deTocqueville knew so well, a = democracy<BR>of=20 individuals who live in a plural political climate gain our<BR>sense of = who we=20 are through the collective voice of a<BR>group, or different kinds of = groups, we=20 associate with.<BR><BR>These groups are either a part of our historical=20 condition<BR>we cannot change (like deafness) or they are chosen<BR>by = our=20 interests in a wide range of selections, like<BR>clubs, college = associations,=20 political affiliations, either<BR>loosely identified with or very = strongly=20 identified with.<BR><BR>These group associations are kinds of = identities,=20 and<BR>can have negative reasons to be, like gangs, or = racist<BR>organizations=20 like the KKK. But in our "culture," what<BR>it means = to be=20 "plural" is that we are, as you say,<BR>individual, but we also are a = culture of=20 groups. We live<BR>in the tension between these two kinds of=20 identities.<BR><BR>In other words, we live in the tension between=20 being<BR>individual, alone, isolated, self-determined on the = one<BR>hand, and,=20 on the other hand, in being a member of<BR>a-or-many groups where we = often have=20 a like history<BR>of ***shared experiences*** have an automatic=20 shared,<BR>starting point in that experience, companionship,<BR>a place = for=20 dialogue about problems and working out<BR>plans, etc.<BR><BR>As you = also seem=20 aware of, belonging to a group also<BR>creates an automatic separation = from=20 others, but this is<BR>the tension we live in in our plural=20 "culture." Those<BR>separations are not "hard" or = structurally=20 oppositional,<BR>but rather are usually fluid, communicative, and=20 open.<BR><BR>We are going through a very "democratic" time right = now<BR>where=20 hegemony on all fronts is being questioned, and<BR>where the deaf are = but one=20 "different" group, who don't share<BR>the same "normalities" that most = of us do,=20 and who are<BR>forming a collective association to claim some power = in<BR>the=20 voicing of their problems.<BR><BR>Here in these groups and associations = is where=20 I presume<BR>the "individuality" that you so rightly cherish is=20 experienced<BR>by many deaf people (and other groups) as utter = isolation<BR>and=20 systematic rejection by the larger group who doesn't<BR>think it is a = separate=20 group--but really is by virtue of how<BR>even the sidewalks are set=20 up?<BR><BR>That the deaf are willing to take collective stands = around<BR>"deaf=20 pride," says they have finally "gotten" the<BR>democratic spirit--that = no matter=20 what is "wrong," with<BR>them, they are politically and socially equal = in this=20 land.<BR>More power to them. And they are a "them," to = me<BR>because I am=20 not deaf.<BR><BR>This is an equality that most of us share, but hardly=20 know<BR>we have. But, like black people, or ***any*** = group=20 that<BR>has been sometimes forced into an associative mold<BR>(like = racism or=20 sexism) does to us, they/we ***don't<BR>experience freedom and equality = in the=20 same way that<BR>you apparently have.***<BR><BR>This is a = systematic,=20 everyday, every-conversation thing,<BR>and it has a tendency to wear a = person=20 raw--when we<BR>finally realize the subtle oppressions that have been=20 going<BR>on--and in part precisely because so many, until the=20 quiet<BR>revolution happens, are so oblivious to the oppression = they-<BR>we are=20 systematically involved in.<BR><BR>So we press against the oppression by = associating<BR>systematically with others like ourselves and who=20 share<BR>those experiences that no one else does--deafness, a<BR>history = of=20 white-against black racism, sexism, anti-<BR>Semitism, etc., = etc.<BR><BR>What=20 keeps order in our plural "culture," is that there are<BR>so many = smaller group=20 "cultures" (reflective developments<BR>like the pearl) who hopefully = take it=20 upon themselves to<BR>remain civilized and where their members can move = in=20 and<BR>out of different groups and into the vast loneliness of = the<BR>general=20 culture while still gaining sustenance from their<BR>group = identities.<BR><BR>I=20 hope this helps. Not everyone has your experience,<BR>nor you=20 theirs?<BR><BR>Catherine King<BR><BR><BR><BR>----- Original Message=20 -----<BR>From: Kate Gladstone & Andrew S. Haber <<A=20 href=3D"mailto:kate@global2000.net">kate@global2000.net</A>><BR>To: = Multiple=20 recipients of list <<A=20 href=3D"mailto:nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov">nifl-povracelit@literac= y.nifl.gov</A>><BR>Sent:=20 Wednesday, October 25, 2000 8:28 PM<BR>Subject: [NIFL-POVRACELIT:241] = deafness=20 as culture: a question I need<BR>answered<BR><BR><BR>> I suppose = that,=20 somewhere at the root of my feeling bothered over the<BR>> "deafness = as=20 culture" position, there lies the fact that this = position<BR>puts<BR>>=20 parents and children in different cultures, which seems unlike=20 "culture"<BR>as<BR>> we usually think of it.<BR>><BR>> E.g., = consider=20 other things that we think of as "culture":<BR>><BR>> we expect = that=20 people of Hispanic culture come from families of Hispanic<BR>> = culture, and=20 will in turn - if they start families - start families of<BR>> = Hispanic=20 culture ...<BR>><BR>> similarly for most of the entities that we = think of=20 as "culture." Most of<BR>us<BR>> would find it very strange, at the = least, to=20 meet someone who said "I am<BR>of<BR>> Hispanic culture, but my = parents and=20 grandparents, my brothers, my<BR>sisters,<BR>> my cousins and my = children and=20 grandchildren are not: I am the only person<BR>> in my family who = belongs to=20 my culture" ...<BR>><BR>> yet, if we consider deafness as a = culture, then=20 it seems we find exactly<BR>> this situation.<BR>><BR>> I don't = know=20 (and would like to know very much) how members of, say,<BR>> Hispanic = culture=20 (or other cultures with close family ties - especially<BR>> = extended-family=20 ties) respond when a Hispanic person born deaf decides to<BR>> = culturally=20 class him/herself with other deaf = people:<BR>> in=20 other words, when such a person decides that s/he does not = (and<BR>never<BR>>=20 did) belong to the same culture as the rest of his/her = family.<BR>><BR>>=20 Can anyone inform me on this matter?<BR>><BR>><BR>> Yours for = better=20 letters,<BR>> Kate Gladstone - Handwriting Repair<BR>> <A=20 href=3D"mailto:kate@global2000.net">kate@global2000.net</A>, <A=20 href=3D"mailto:kate@WriteMe.com">kate@WriteMe.com</A><BR>> <A=20 href=3D"http://www.global2000.net/handwritingrepair">http://www.global200= 0.net/handwritingrepair</A><BR>>=20 325 South Manning Boulevard<BR>> Albany, NY 12208-1731<BR>>=20 518/482-6763<BR>> AND REMEMBER ...<BR>> = you can=20 order books through my site! (Amazon.com link - I<BR>> get a 5% - 15% = commission on each book=20 sold)<BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_0040_01C03F14.7337B3A0--
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