Preview

Artefact of Popular Culture; the Cochlear Implant

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1284 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Artefact of Popular Culture; the Cochlear Implant
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”.

Cochlear implants characterize progress and globalization because they are a technology which attempts to “cure” deafness. The study by Wheeler, Archbold, Gregory, Skipp (2007) concludes “Cochlear implantation is a relatively new procedure, which has already had significant impact on the lives of many profoundly deaf children and adults, in providing useful hearing to those unable to benefit significantly from hearing aids”. The Cochlear implant holds effect in how I interact with society, with out the Cochlear implant I would be profoundly deaf and there for feel too inadequate to socialize among others. The CI has also helped others to understand what

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Best Essays

    “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.(“Brainy Quote)” -Confucious. The unique heritage of hard of hearing culture is very affluent and astonishing. Understanding the desires of others wanting to learn about the history behind the hearing impaired will come across critical events like the “Deaf President Now” movement that essentially granted Gallaudet University its first ever deaf president, learn about the expansion of personal hearing assistive technology past and present, read about the vicious segregation in schools for the deaf, and learn about the thousands of historical figures that were hard of hearing.…

    • 1511 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Similarly, the Deaf child, however raised, has a Deaf heritage form birth. Most children who cannot communicate well in spoken language will, when allowed to, learn signed language, become acculturated to Deaf culture, marry Deaf, and identify themselves as members of the Deaf World. A distinguished otologist has contended that Deaf children start out in mainstream hearing society and enter the Deaf World in adolescence. Most children in the Deaf World cannot communicate with their parents who know no sign language, and while their home may be nurturing, it cannot be substantially acculturating. The anormality of having culturally different parents is then both a centrifugal and centripetal force in the Deaf World. At the same time, the anomaly propels Deaf people toward the Deaf World, since identification with the Deaf World offers pride, language, instruction, role models, a culturally compatible spouse, and more than cannot be had…

    • 675 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    I firmly believe that the cochlear implant operation should be able to be performed on young children even though they cannot give consent. After watching Sound and Fury multiple times, I can see why some people would not want themselves or their children to receive cochlear implants. They have a fear that they would abandon the deaf culture and they would lose their deaf identity. However, this movie has also given me more insight on the advantages of receiving a cochlear implant and how important it is to receive it at a young age. In the movie, one of the twins receives the cochlear implant as an infant whereas the main character, Heather, does not receive it until around nine years old. After watching the movie, I then watched a TED talk that Heather presented when she was in her twenties. Although she was able to talk and you could understand the majority of what she was saying, her speech would have been much…

    • 456 Words
    • 2 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
  • Good Essays

    When most are born, they have five senses. Touching, tasting, feeling, smelling, and hearing. For whatever reason, sometimes in their lifetime some people may lose one of more of these senses. Imagine not being able to hear. How would that affect a person’s daily routine? Also, what if the said person could somehow get their hearing back, would they jump at the chance? That’s where cochlear implants come into play.…

    • 1588 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The biggest controversy of the deaf community has been the topic of a cochlear implant. The debate is centered around the expense, risk and idea of the implants causing deaf people to distance themselves from the deaf community rather than emerging themselves. This is due to the cochlear implants ability to provide a sense of sound to the deaf individual. It is only used when a hearing aid is not strong enough to provide adequate function. The cochlear implant involves a lot of time to consider the procedure because of cost, risk, and being a part of the deaf community. In order to make a decision of getting a cochlear implant one must have background knowledge on how a cochlear works, hearing vs. deaf, benefits, risk and cost.…

    • 1447 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    4. Who are those without privilege? Why? Those who, due to the age, medical contraindications or the lack of parental consent, can not put themselves this implant. Because this deprives them of the opportunity to be like everyone else, to hear and communicate like people who do not have hearing problems.…

    • 1331 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Things that hearing people want to do are foreign to people with hearing loss. People can change when losing their hearing. People with hearing loss would want to hear again. People whom have their loved ones suffered the loss of hearing, cannot stand to see their own family member or friend suffering. People whom lost their hearing suddenly, can fall in the depression. “On My Father’s Loss of Hearing”, by Joanne Diaz was written about her father who suffered the loss of hearing and the author uses three devices that are connotation, irony, hyperbole, and to help explore the difficulty of hearing loss.…

    • 457 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    While viewing "In the Land of the Deaf" it help me seeing how hard of hearing kids figure out how to hear by utilizing Hearing aids. Its overview differentiating the stories of a family who has been hard of hearing and with the narrative of a lady whose deafness was misconstrued. The film shows Deaf individuals of all ages, children to grown-ups. With their similar deafness, the kids and grown-ups in this film communicate their dreams, thoughts and ideas through sign language which is used for them to communicate. While watching “See What I mean: Differences Between Deaf and Hearing Cultures” it help me comprehend and accomplish a more better understanding of culturally diverse point of view and valuation for Deaf and listening to societies…

    • 141 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Whether a cochlear implant will be beneficial to a person depends on that individual altogether. Age, compatibility, and funding are all important factors that help decide if a cochlear implant will be beneficial or even available. Age is very critical because in human development there is a sensitive period with hearing. A sensitive period is a certain amount of time that is given for a person to be exposed to an experience for it to develop normally. With hearing, this sensitive period is restricted to the age of six. If someone is exposed to sounds by this time there will be very little trouble adjusting to this new experience. However, if this person is exposed to sounds after the age of six, development and success in this new experience may be hindered.…

    • 1067 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Medterm ASL paper

    • 464 Words
    • 2 Pages

    What surprised me most about Deaf culture was the belief of how deafness isn't something that…

    • 464 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory 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

    Sound And Fury Analysis

    • 1909 Words
    • 8 Pages

    In comparison, hearing people speak to communicate. Cochlear implants are controversial amongst the deaf community because they fear that the use of cochlear implants will threaten their established culture and sign language. DEAF SCHOLARThey fear a deaf child with an implant may choose to leave the deaf culture because they are ashamed of their true identity. This may inevitably cause low self-esteem and lack of self-acceptance. The deaf believe cochlear implantation exploits the idea that being deaf is wrong or a disability that needs to be “fixed,” which decreases their potential of living life to its highest potential. Deaf scholar This is a common view of hearing culture, but the deaf community disagrees. A critical aspect of the cochlear implant debate has to do with the concept of deafness and at how hearing people perceive those who are deaf. (Deaf scholar) The deaf community does not think that they have a disability to be cured. They fully embrace their inability to hear and they stress the importance of accepting yourself. DEAF SCHOLAR Those who are hearing assume that spoken language is essential, yet they fail to see the importance of ASL and to understand the needs of the deaf community kind of from perspective of deaf PERSPECTIVE OF DEAF The deaf community also fears cochlear implants will cause separation. When deaf children have the implant, they will likely be exposed to only spoken language and will never learn ASL. FROM DEAEF SCHOLAR Because a child with a cochlear implant may want to speak more often than use ASL, it could potential create a language barrier between the child and the parents. Cochlear implants separate deaf people from deaf culture because they have the ability to hear, whereas their peers do not. Because of this, the deaf community may reject the child as a part of their community. The hearing…

    • 1909 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cohecular Implants

    • 341 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Many members of the deaf community are content with their unique culture and do not regard deafness as a disorder or something that needs to be cured. Within the deaf community, particular scorn is reserved for the practice of placing cochlear implants in young children. The National Association of the Deaf, maintains that there is no evidence that deaf children who receive implants early are better able to acquire English or have greater educational success than other deaf children.…

    • 341 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays