DEAF CULTURE

Essay by princessbrandy72High School, 12th gradeA+, September 2004

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In our country we meet people from all levels of society, whether it is the rich or the poor, or in this case, the deaf or the hearing, and in each level of society we see a unique culture. Deaf individuals, just as hearing persons, have their own culture. It may be difficult for the average speaking individual to understand, but the deaf population is becoming a world of its own, with their own culture, society, language and technologies.

Culture is defined according to Webster's dictionary as "The behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic or age group" (488). Culture is also defined as "The customs, arts and conveniences of a nation or people at a given time" (Random 209). Human society is keenly aware of ethnic cultures such as the Hispanic culture, African-American culture, and even the Asian culture. However, society seldom acknowledges the non-ethnic cultures unless they are in the political or media spot light.

One of those non-ethnic cultures that have been overlooked by the media and political circuits is the deaf culture.

The deaf society populates about ten percent of the world, meaning that in America alone there are approximately ten million deaf people. With this great number of deaf people in society, we must try to understand the concepts of deaf cultures. To define the Deaf culture, we must consult the deaf community. Even in America, we have our own customs, which divide and distinguish us as individuals. To fully enjoy and understand the deaf culture, a person would have to participate in the deaf customs and social events. The pride and unity that found through out the deaf community resembles a close-knit family. "Just as other cultural groups such as; Hispanics and Asians share a collective heritage, people who are deaf feel...