Preview

Audism

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1214 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Audism
Allissa Lane
Deaf Culture
Dana Schlang
November 16, 2014

Audism

Audism is a term typically used to describe discrimination against deaf or hard of hearing people, although it could also be expanded to include anyone with a difference in hearing ability. This discrimination can occur in a number of forms in a range that includes physical, cultural, and linguistic variants. Further complicating the issue is the existence of intra-group discrimination, which can either mimic the pathways of inter-group discrimination or take entirely new forms. The term was popularly originated by author Tom Humphries in 1975; at the time the definition focused on the attitude that people who hear and speak, or hear and speak better, or have excellent English skills, are superior to others. The definition has since expanded to include more variations. Through this online class, I have learned more about Audism. We had many ways of understanding the meaning and how it affects people. In my own time, one book that I read that had excellent variations of Audism is ‘Triumph of the Spirit.’ One person who stuck out like a sore thumb for being guilty of Audism was Jane Spilman. She was quoted saying that the deaf people were not ready for a deaf president but then back peddles and states the interpreter misquoted her. That quote made many people very angry (deaf and hearing, alike) because it shows that Spilman only cared about her career (typical politician) and how she wanted to run Gallaudet. Another example from ‘Triumph’ was the Board of Trustees before the DPN movement. The people who represented Gallaudet were mostly hearing Trustees and did not understand the Deaf Culture. It wasn’t until the DPN movement that the BOT makeup was altered to have deaf people who understood what the students wanted and needed. Another way I learned about Audism is through the many movies I’ve seen throughout the years in school. The first movie that impacted me was ‘Sound and Fury.’ The

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Best Essays

    This research paper sought out to understand the roots of history and how our past has shaped our today referring to the hard of hearing community. Exploring the historical period of the 19th century where stakes were high regarding the hard of hearing community, all the way into present time where these individuals are still facing struggles and adaptations are just as evident but presented in a different light.…

    • 1511 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Deaf President Now Essay

    • 627 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Deaf President Now movement in 1988 has been characterized as one of the most significant moments in the history of Deaf people. From March 7-13, 1988, Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. was the site of a historic protest against the appointment of yet another hearing university president. It was early in 1983 when the 4th university president, Dr. Edward C. Merrill, Jr, was stepping down that he himself promoted the idea of a deaf president. The idea didn’t truly catch on until a few years later when a group of faculty and students formed the President 's Council on Deafness (PCD), which was an advocacy group who felt that many of the deaf students needs were unable to be met with so many of the university’s administration being hearing. This group, along with many others, both within the university and without, worked tirelessly to make their wishes known to the Board of Trustees who were in charge of the selection process in 1987-1988. Although two of the three finalists for the position were deaf, ultimately the Board decided to go with the one finalist that was hearing, Dr. Elisabeth Zinser.…

    • 627 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Redefining D.E.A.F

    • 776 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Ryan Commerson, producer and host of the movie “Media, Power & Ideology: Re-Presenting D-E-A-D”, states that all the preconceptions societies have about people being born deaf is because of “ideology”. He uses Valentin Voloshinov’s definition of the word to later explore its significance in more depth. Ideology: “The dimension of social experience in which meanings and values are produced”. Furthermore, he continues exploring the first persons that tried to describe deaf people back in the 18th century. He explains that at first these persons, like author John Conrad Amman, one of the first ones to write about speech and how deaf people could learn how to communicate, had many misinterpretations of how deaf people really is and what are they capable to. Commeron continues saying that even thou they used very degrading terms to describe deaf people they were judging them wrongly since most of deaf people grew up without any education. The fact that all these people wrote about them, Cammeron says, it brings this false ideology to our present.…

    • 776 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    An artefact that plays a major part in my popular culture is the “Cochlear Implant”. A Cochlear implant is an electronic device that has been surgically implanted to help a person who is profoundly deaf, or severely hard of hearing to receive sound. These devices are made to replace the sensory hair cells in the cochlear of which have been damaged, the Cochlear Implant enables sufficient amount of hearing, allowing a better understanding of speech. However the quality of the sound is different from natural hearing, as less sound information is being received and processed by the brain. I have a Cochlear Implant (or CI for short) myself, making it a major part of my popular culture experience. The Cochlear implant is recognised as a “cure” for deafness; however there is commotion from the “Deaf” culture that the CI is a threat to their culture and their form of communication, sign language. I disagree and believe that the CI is an optional cure for deafness not a threat to their culture. The CI reflects back onto three main theories; Progress and Globalization, Roots and routes of identity and Deaf culture. These are three theories will be used to discuss why the CI is a part of my popular culture following by a conclusion that the CI is a optional cure for deafness that will not intrude with the “Deaf culture”.…

    • 1284 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In this book, Deaf in America, by Carol Padden and Tom Humphries, the two authors wrote stories, jokes, performances, and experiences of Deaf people. They also wrote Deaf culture and Deaf people’s lives from various angles. This book is great navigator of Deaf world for hearing people and even Deaf people as me. There are several factors attracting reader. To begin with, I could learn about backgrounds of deaf people and hearing people. Authors wrote about a Deaf boy who was born into a deaf family. Until he discovered that a girl playmate in neighborhood was “hearing”, he didn’t notice about “Others”. Authors explained, “She was HEARING and because of this did not know how to SIGN; instead she and her mother TALK” (Chapter 1). This story strongly impressed me. I was born into a Deaf family too, but I grew up with hearing grandparents. In my childhood, I did intensive oral training with my grandparents. So, I can sign JSL and talk Japanese smoothly. Therefore I never felt emotion like this occasion, “Others” to hearing people. The next factor is difference of “Deaf” and “deaf”. For example, the capitalized “Deaf” people are not only “deaf” but also user of Sign Language. I haven’t known the meaning of “Deaf” and “deaf” exactly before, thanks to this book, now I can understand. When I analyzed myself, I identified as “Deaf” because I truly cherish Sign Language. In addition, Sign Language is explained as a primary mode of communication for Deaf people including me. It has full access to communication for us. Unfortunately, some hearing people misunderstand that Sign Language is a kind of gestural communication. Authors wrote about it, “ASL are often thought to be direct representations of spoken words” (Chapter 3). In my country, Japan, there are some misconceptions about JSL too. Sign Language has both iconic and abstract concept.…

    • 620 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Answer In Unit 4222 258

    • 1950 Words
    • 7 Pages

    In sensory loss (touch/ mobility, vision, hearing) can have a big impact to an individual like for example in mobility, the person can not feed or dress himself, or can not participate in an activity and worst if he can not attend to his personal daily living. Another is eyesight or vision, the person who suffers from this disability have a very hard time communicating or even to express themselves to what they want to do and wishes without the help of other person. This case is the same with a person who is deaf or can not hear anything. And sometimes when you suffer from this disabilities, people are easily judge you in a way that they try to seclude you or belong you to have a below average intelligence and assume that you can not do or think the same as other people.…

    • 1950 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    History of Rev War

    • 919 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Lang, Harry G. Genesis of a Community: The American Deaf Experience in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries. In J. Van Cleve (Ed.). The Deaf History Reader. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press, 2007.…

    • 919 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Gallaudet Research Paper

    • 644 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Many events took place in 1988 at Gallaudet University, in Washington, D.C. One event that continues to affect many people's lives was the election of Gallaudet’s first Deaf president, Irving King Jordan. However, it was not an easy journey for this milestone accomplishment to be achieved. In the days before King Jordan was elected, there were protests from students, faculty, alumni, and many other members of the Deaf community. They, the people of Gallaudet, had just found out that Elisabeth Zinser, a hearing woman, had just been elected as the seventh president of Gallaudet. Nobody could believe this. This led to several days of protests called, Deaf President Now.…

    • 644 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    3. People placing limitations on the person with the sensory loss can be disabling, for example, believing that a blind person can’t manage alone or that deaf people are funny because of the way they talk. These attitudes and beliefs can prevent the person being included in society as an equal. This can then have a negative effect on the person and lead them to believing that they have limitations.…

    • 746 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Deaf President Now Movement at Gallaudet University was very interesting to watch. I never knew much about the movement until this ASL class, and I find this information to be important in learning history in the 1980’s. Now after researching information, the significance of the protest was definitely necessary for the deaf community/culture. In reading this article, I had never thought much about the deaf culture, even though I had seen deaf people in my work place. Looking back in time, I could not imagine what they could have possibly gone through protesting for their rights as deaf students, and how it must had affected them to fight for justice, when they should have been focusing on their education.…

    • 425 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    While watching the film Through Deaf Eyes I found myself generally engaged in all information that was presented to me. One piece of the film that did stick out to me was the way public schools were teaching Deaf children. I was shocked how people could have thought a person who was born Deaf could learn how to speak. The techniques of how educators would place the Deaf students hand on his or her neck to feel the vibrations that were being generated by the speaking persons’ mouth. In return, the educators thought that learning how muscles and vibrations differ within the head and neck region when sound is made can somehow teach a Deaf…

    • 484 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In a world of sound, many time people take advantage of the opportunities a gifts sounds give. This gift creates and unveils many unforgettable memories in one’s life. Without sound, would humanity still blossom these ideals, or would they fall into a world of silence? This idea is popular yet foully. Living in a world without sound is something much of the population endures. Many people in society view this as a disability or pity, however those who are deaf or hard of hearing, view it as their culture. The ideal of culture plays a major part in self-identification, especially in those who have alternate circumstances. In the movie, Children of a Lesser God, the main character (played by Marlee Matlin) is deaf, stubborn and non-verbal. The…

    • 1478 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Deaf Culture Book Report

    • 1072 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Thomas K. Holcomb’s book, Introduction to American Deaf Culture, shines a light on the deaf community and the culture they experience. The intended audience, however, is the hearing. It gives the reader insight on deaf experiences and how the atmosphere is different, even though the environment is the same. All aspects of culture are covered. The book starts off with how the culture is formed through the 5 hallmarks (p. 17). Next, the book focuses on the identity of a deaf person. This is not only limited to, labeling from the rest of the world, but also by how the person sees himself. After, the book discusses the core values the deaf community has. These values are much different when compared to the hearing community. They focus on the person engaging as a full member of society. This is done through communication, interacting, and having a sense of self-worth in the community (104-107). Eventually, literature and art are mentioned. The classifications are difficult to place. There are American works, but with the growing awareness in the recent year they have earned their own Deaf category. This is important to the deaf community because it allows “Deaf people’s lives to be better…

    • 1072 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Discrimination means unfair treatment of an individual who is different in some way, individuals may be discriminated against because of a hearing or sight impairment, race, religion, class, educational attainment or gender among others. Discrimination can be direct, for example where a carer refuses to work with a certain group of people, or indirect, for example, there may not be wheelchair access to buildings, wheelchair users are then being discriminated against indirectly.…

    • 1332 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Deaf President Now

    • 417 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The rally for a deaf president at Gallaudet University is pretty intriguing. I think I may have heard about it briefly before this assignment, but not enough to be able to explain it, let alone have an opinion on the matter. I never realized how crazy and intense the situation became. The students completely shutting down the school wasn't as much of a surprise, I suppose. But the clips of people making dummies with name tags that read, “Spillman”, and “Zinser”, and hanging them on lampposts seemed a little extreme to me. Then, when the students took it a step further, and lit the dummies fire, my opinion of the students' reaction to the matter was hindered even more. If I'm completely honest, I thought it was kind of pathetic, and much too extreme. I can understand their great disappointment with the board's decision to declare a hearing person as president of a deaf university, it's completely reasonable to be upset. But to take things to such extreme measures seems, in my opinion, somewhat immature. The board's job is to manage the university and all that comes with it. It is the board's job to take into account what is in the university's best interest. If the board believes someone is legitimately qualified for the job, whether they're hearing impaired or not, the board has a right to appoint that person as president.…

    • 417 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays