American Sign Language/Deaf Culture

From Wikibooks, the open-content textbooks collection

Jump to: navigation, search

[edit] Deaf Culture

[edit] Cultural Behaviors

Members of the Deaf culture tend to behave very differently from their hearing counterparts as the differences will be listed below:

  • Attention getting devices
    • Hearing: Shouting, "Hey!"
    • Deaf: Tapping firmly on the shoulder with the whole hand, flickering the lights (to gain the attention of a whole room), stomping the feet, and throwing things at the person.
  • Face Expression
    • Hearing: Extreme emotions are displayed.
    • Deaf: All emotions are displayed, as well as grammatical information (these expressions are non-optional markers of grammar).
  • Pointing to certain people/things
    • Hearing: pointing is often considered rude, though acceptable to give directions for example
    • Deaf: pointing is permitted in order to use pronouns in sign language, as well as giving directions etc
  • Settings of social gatherings
    • Hearing: choice of room might be based on what is quietest - no auditory distractions
    • Deaf: congregating in the kitchen where there is better lighting, in order to make it easier to see everyone signing
  • Introduction rituals
    • Hearing: "Nice to meet you"
    • Deaf: Long introduction rituals (i.e. Where are you from? Which schools are you going to? Who your parents are? and so on)
  • Manner how introduction rituals are completed
    • Hearing: shaking hands
    • Deaf: hugging after rituals (which is very common)
  • Good-byes
    • Hearing: short stays/short good-byes (though there are exceptions)
    • Deaf: overstaying/long good-byes
  • At the Table
    • Hearing: It is considered rude to talk with the mouth full of food
    • Deaf: Can "talk" (sign) with mouth full of food
  • Misbehaving children
    • Hearing: Hearing misbehaving children cover their ears when being scolded at
    • Deaf: Deaf misbehaving children cover their eyes when being scolded at

[edit] Deaf Cinema/Theatre

There are several films that was produced by deaf, those films also included deaf actor/actress.

The company ASL Film has featured 3 films: "Forget Me Not", "Wrong Game" and finally a new feature-length film "The Legend of the Mountain Man". All of those films are in American Sign Language, with no audio, but with optional subtitles.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/American_Sign_Language/Deaf_Culture"