Cultural Differences In Deaf Culture

For many years d/Deaf and hard of hearing individuals have been struggling not only as a minority in a majority hearing society but also with conflicts within their own society. Though many people outside of the deaf culture may view deafness as a disability that needs to be fixed, Deaf individuals are proud of their difference. This portfolio is designed to assess every aspect of deafness, both as a cultural entity and as a medical deficit. But first, what does the term “deafness” refer to?
Deafness is when a person’s ability to detect certain frequencies of sound is completely or partially impaired. This may or may not include people who identify with Deaf culture. Deaf culture is a term more recently used to describe a social movement that sees deafness as a positive difference in human experience. This difference is based on a variety of attributes including; shared language, behavioral norms, distinct values, cultural customs, social structure, art, and history. The use of American Sign Language as the means of communication is the primary feature of the culture.
Regardless of the difficulties that individuals face in deaf culture, it is easy to find a remarkable sense of pride from the individuals who identify with the culture.
With this portfolio, a worker should be able to thoroughly understand the dynamics of deafness, from language to different identities to variation in technological assistance within the culture. The second section of this portfolio is designed to put into perspective “deafness” and how it relates to the field of Criminal Justice/Criminology. Though deafness is essentially a way of life, there are a lot of connections to be made between these ever-changing