About The Book

A contemporary and vibrant Deaf culture is found within Deaf communities, including Deaf Persons of Color and those who are DeafDisabled and DeafBlind. Taking a more people-centered view, the second edition of Deaf Culture: Exploring Deaf Communities in the United States critically examines how Deaf culture fits into education, psychology, cultural studies, technology, and the arts. With the acknowledgment of signed languages all over the world as bonafide languages, the perception of Deaf people has evolved into the recognition and acceptance of a vibrant Deaf culture centered around the use of signed languages and the communities of Deaf peoples. Written by Deaf and hearing authors with extensive teaching experience and immersion in Deaf cultures and signed languages, Deaf Culture fills a niche as an introductory textbook that is more inclusive, accessible, and straightforward for those beginning their studies of the Deaf-World.

New to the Second Edition

  • A new co-author, Topher González Ávila, MA
  • Two new chapters!
    • Chapter 7 “Deaf Communities Within the Deaf Community” highlights the complex variations within this community
    • Chapter 10 “Deaf People and the Legal System: Education, Employment, and Criminal Justice” underscores linguistic and access rights
  • The remaining chapters have been significantly updated to reflect current trends and new information, such as:
    • Advances in technology created by Deaf people that influence and enhance their lives within various national and international societies
    • Greater emphasis on different perspectives within Deaf culture
    • Information about legal issues and recent political action by Deaf people
    • New information on how Deaf people are making breakthroughs in the entertainment industry
    • Addition of new vignettes, examples, pictures, and perspectives to enhance content interest for readers and facilitate instructor teaching
    • Introduction of theories explained in a practical and reader-friendly manner to ensure understanding
    • An updated introduction to potential opportunities for professional and informal involvement in ASL/Deaf culture with children, youth, and adults

Key Features

  • Strong focus on including different communities within Deaf cultures
  • Thought-provoking questions, illustrative vignettes, and examples
  • Theories introduced and explained in a practical and reader-friendly manner
  • PluralPlus companion website with a test bank and lecture slides for instructors

About The Authors

Irene W. Leigh, PhD, is a Deaf psychologist whose experience includes high school teaching, psychological assessment, psychotherapy, and private practice. From 1985 to 1991 she was a psychologist and assistant director at the Lexington Center for Mental Health Services. She taught in the Gallaudet University Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program from 1992 to 2012, was Psychology Department Chair from 2008 to 2012, and attained professor emerita status in 2012. Dr. Leigh serves on review boards of professional journals and was associate editor of the Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education from 2005 to 2011. She has presented nationally and internationally on identity, depression, parenting, attachment, cochlear implants, and psychosocial adjustment, and has published more than fifty articles and book chapters in addition to authoring, coauthoring, and editing or coediting several books. As a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, she served on two task forces and the Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest.

Jean F. Andrews, PhD, received a bachelor’s degree in English language and literature from Catholic University, in Washington, DC, a master’s in education in Deaf education from McDaniel College (formerly Western Maryland College) in Westminster, Maryland, and a doctorate in speech and hearing sciences from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. Dr. Andrews was a classroom teacher of reading at the Maryland School for the Deaf in Frederick, Maryland. From 1983 to 1988, she prepared educational interpreters and teachers of Deaf students at Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Kentucky. From 1988 to 2015, she taught classes, prepared teachers and doctoral level leaders, and conducted applied research at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. Dr. Andrews’ research interests include language and literacy, Deaf Studies, ASL/English bilingualism, and forensic issues with deaf offenders. She has also served on the governing board of the Texas School for the Deaf. Currently, she is working on ASL/English science materials for struggling Deaf readers.

Raychelle L. Harris, PhD, a third generation Deaf and a native ASL signer, received her bachelor’s degree in American Sign Language (ASL) from Gallaudet University in 1995 and master’s degree in Deaf education from Western Maryland College in 2000. Dr. Harris has been teaching ASL as a first and second language since 1993. She returned to Gallaudet University for her doctoral studies in the areas of education and linguistics, with her dissertation topic focused on ASL discourse in academic settings. In 2008, Dr. Harris joined Gallaudet University’s Department of Interpretation as a faculty member. Since 2009, she has been teaching with the Department of ASL and Deaf Studies, preparing future ASL teachers in the masters in sign language education program. She is also one of three editors of the Journal of ASL and Literature. Dr. Harris holds professional certification with the American Sign Language Teachers Association and is a Certified Deaf Interpreter.

Topher González Ávila, MA was born in Mexico City, Mexico. He moved to Dallas, Texas when he was a baby. His Deaf mom raised Topher and his two Deaf siblings in a multilingual family of Lengua de Señas Mexicana (LSM), American Sign Language (ASL), English and Spanish. Topher graduated from University of North Texas with Bachelor’s degrees in Criminal Justice and Radio, Television & Film (RTVF) in 2015. He continued his education at Gallaudet University and graduated in 2018 with a Master’s in Sign Language Education. Topher is a Certified Deaf Interpreter with the Board for Evaluation of Interpreters (BEI) since 2016. He is the first Deaf Latinx interpreter in the state of Texas to hold a BEI Court Interpretation certification. Topher teaches for Gallaudet University’s Master’s in Sign Language Education program. Topher works as a community interpreter and a freelance video editor. Topher is proud to be Brown, Queer and Deaf. It was and still is a journey for him to finally embrace the person he is. He works with and for his communities especially, BIPOC Deaf youth and Queer Deaf youth through local, state and national organizational advocacy efforts.

Table Of Contents

Part I. Deaf Culture: Yesterday and Today

Chapter 1. Deaf Community: Past and Present
Introduction
The Deaf Community and Its Members

Deaf Children of Culturally Deaf Parents
Deaf Children of Hearing Parents
Hearing Members in Deaf Families
Hard-of-Hearing Individuals
Late-Deafened Individuals
Deaf Blind Individuals
Multiple Communities

Demographics
Historical Highlights
Contemporary Descriptions

Deafhood
Deaf Gain
Deaf Ethnicity
People of the Eye
Deaf Epistemologies

Conclusions
References

Chapter 2. Causes of Being Deaf and the Auditory Field
Determining One’s Hearing Level

Audiologists and Audiograms
Hearing Labels
What Causes Changes in Hearing Levels?

Genetic Causes
Acquired
Conductive
Sensorineural

History of Auditory Technology
Current Auditory Innovations and Rehabilitation

Hearing Level Screening
Hearing Aids
Cochlear Implants

The Cochlear Implant Controversy
Inspiration Porn
Genetic Engineering

Genetic Controversy

Conclusions
References

Part II. Signed Languages and Learning

Chapter 3. American Sign Language
Background of ASL and Other Sign Languages

Indigenous Communities and “Hand-Talk”
African American Communities and BASL
European Communities
Euro-American Communities
Home Signs and Gestures
Village Sign Languages

How Sign Languages Are Spread

International Sign (IS) and Signed Languages Used Globally
ASL and English: Features, Content, and Structure

ASL Content
Structure

The Manual Alphabet
ASL Learners and Strategies
Dialects and Other Forms of Signed Communication
Attitudes: Linguistic Imperialism
Conclusions
References

Chapter 4. How Deaf Children Think, Learn, and Read
Culture, Learning, and Intelligence

Culture and Language
IQ Tests
Thought and Language

Cognitive Abilities

Cognition Shaped by Culture
Incidental Learning
Joint Attention
Visual Attention and Peripheral Vision
Visual Imagery and Spatial Memory
Reasoning
Metacognitive Abilities

Theory of Mind
Executive Function

Language Pathways

Early Gestures, Family Communication, and Play
Language Milestones
The Brain, Multilingualism, and Sign Languages
Theories and Strategies

Literacy Learning

Importance
Developmental Pathways

Deficit Models
Asset Model

Conclusions
References

Chapter 5. Deaf Education, Deaf Culture, and Multiculturalism
Deaf Culture and Multiculturalism
Factors Impacting Schooling

Age of Onset and Parental Hearing Status
Multilingualism, Multiculturalism, and Schooling

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Deaf Students
Deaf Disabled Students

Communication and Language Approaches

History of Deaf Education
Bilingual and Multilingual Approaches
Blended Approaches
Monolingual Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) Approaches
Communication Approaches and DeafDisabled Students

School Settings

Center Schools
Private Oral Schools
Day Schools
Inclusion
Mainstream, Self-Contained Resource Room
Coenrollment
Charter Schools and Home Schools

Technology, DeafSpace, and Classroom Acoustics
Educational Programming

Early Childhood (EC) Levels (Birth to 5 Years)

Curriculum and Outcomes
Challenges in School

K to 12th-Grade Levels (5 to 22 Years)

Curriculum and Outcomes

Transition and Postsecondary Educational Opportunities

Curriculum and Outcomes
Postsecondary Challenges

Preparation of Teachers and Educational Interpreters

Teacher-Training
Educational Interpreter Training
Challenges for Teachers and Interpreters

Conclusions
References

Part III. Deaf Lives, Technology, Arts, and Career Opportunities

Chapter 6. Deaf Identities
Deaf Identities

Categories of Deaf Identities

Disability Framework
Social Identity Theory
Racial Identity Development Framework
Deaf Identity Development Framework
Acculturation Model
The Narrative Approach

Intersectionality

Race/Ethnicity
Sexual Orientation
Disability

Conclusions
References

Chapter 7. Deaf Communities Within the Deaf Community
References

Chapter 8. Navigating Lives
Introduction
Forms of Discrimination
Resilience

The Role of Relationships in Strengthening Resilience

The World of Work
Health Issues
Mental Health Issues
Domestic Violence
Criminal Justice Issues
Aging Issues
Conclusions
References

Chapter 9. Technology and Accessibility
History: Foundations for Access
Deaf Community and Access

Captions
Telephones
Alerting Devices or Systems
Wake-Up Devices
Baby Alerting Devices
Residential Security and Alarm Systems
Emergency Announcements
Assistive Systems and Devices

Innovative Technology
Conclusions
References

Chapter 10. Deaf People and the Legal System: Education, Employment,and Criminal Justice
Education Laws

Laws in Early Childhood

Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EDHI) Act
Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (Part C)

Laws With School-Age Deaf Children

IDEA (Part B)
IDEA (Part A)
American With Disabilities Act (ADA)
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

Laws in Foster Care Placements

IDEA, ADA, and Section 504

Laws in Juvenile Justice Facility Placements

IDEA, ADA, and Section 504

Employment

Social Security Act
Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)

Higher Education

ADA and 504 Protections

Justice System

Family, Education, and Language Factors
Section 504 and ADA Protections
The Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment
Victims of Crimes
Prevalence and Types of Crimes

Homicide
Sexual Offending Crimes

The Criminal Justice Process

Barriers at the Arrest
Booking, Medical/Psychological Intake, and Orientation
Barriers at Trial
Barriers in Jail or Prison
Barriers in Probation and Parole

Conclusions
References

Chapter 11. Arts, Literature, and Media
Arts

Visual and Tactile Arts
De’VIA

Performing Arts

Deaf Theater
Deaf in Television and Movies
Deaf in Game and Reality Shows
Deaf Music and Dancing

Literature

Literature in the Deaf Community
ASL Literature
Deaf Literature: English
Online ASL and Deaf Literature

Media

Deaf Images: Digital Arts and Photography
Deaf Motion: Cinema and Film

Conclusion
References

Chapter 12. Advocating and Career Opportunities
Introduction
Deaf-Hearing Collaboration
Career Possibilities

ASL Interpreters
Teachers
Early Childhood Educators
Audiologists
Speech and Language Therapists
Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors and Job Coaches
Mental Health Service Providers

Hotline Volunteer
Clinical Mental Health Counselor
School Counselor
Social Work
Clinical Psychology

Emergency Medical Technicians
Other Career Possibilities

Conclusions
References

Chapter 13. Final Thoughts on Deaf Culture and Its Future
References

Reviews

There are no reviews yet.

Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.

Save & Share Cart
Your Shopping Cart will be saved and you'll be given a link. You, or anyone with the link, can use it to retrieve your Cart at any time.
Back Save & Share Cart
Your Shopping Cart will be saved with Product pictures and information, and Cart Totals. Then send it to yourself, or a friend, with a link to retrieve it at any time.
Your cart email sent successfully :)