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Deaf Culture Resources

Deaf Culture has played an important role in helping to understand American Sign Language (ASL). It also gives insights as to how Deaf people interpret the world around them. Deaf Culture has various aspects, including history, values, jokes, language, education, social relations and rules. An asterisk * indicates that the material is also available at ETRR, LBJ 3355, Building 60. Remember that we have the NTID Research Dept. composed of experts who have bibliographies on selected presentations and articles on the web site.

ENCYCLOPEDIAS OR REFERENCE WORKS-Use the following specialized reference books. These are good resources to use when starting to do research on a topic. Articles are written by experts in the field and have bibliographies for further reading. If you are not sure of a topic, browsing through these works will give you topic ideas.

Baker, C. & Jones, S.P. (Eds.). (1998). Encyclopedia of bilingualism and bilingual education. Philadelphia: Multilingual Matters. (In Reference area on the 1st floor REF LC3707 .E53 1998).
This encyclopedia is divided into three sections: individual bilingualism; bilingualism in society and bilingual education. It includes many pictures, graphs, maps and diagrams. The book concludes with a comprehensive bibliography on bilingualism. Part 1 focuses on Individual bilingualism- what is a bilingual?- bilingualism and the family- the everday use of bilinguals- bilingualism and thinking- measurement of bilingualism; Part 2 focuses on Bilingualism in society-bilingualism in communities- how many languages are there in the world? - languages in contact, the mapping of languages in the world, presentation of language maps-language change- language planning and evolution- bilingualism and culture-bilingualism and politics; Part 3 Bilingual education focuses on- the aims of bilingual education- weak forms of bilingual education- strong forms of bilingual education- bilingual education and the community- bilingual education in the United States- bilingual eduation for students with special needs- bilingual education for the deaf and hearing impaired- language awareness-multiculturalism in education- the bilingual classroom- factors affecting second languae acquistion- second language learning in the classroom.(from Multilingual Matters web site).

Edwards, R. (Ed.). (1997). Encyclopedia of social work. Washington, DC: National Association of Social Workers. (In Reference area on the 1st floor REF HV35.S6).
Tovah M. Wax has written an article that examines the multifaceted nature of deafness, the Deaf community, and factors that contributed to Deaf culture and offers suggestions for social work intervention in the Deaf community. (Vol. 1, pp. 679-684).ETRR has this article ( NTID-RR 1543). Dean K. Santos has written an article about the culture model of deafness (including psychosocial development, mental health, family dynamics, and sociocultural environments of people in the deaf population) with implications for social work practice. (Vol. 1, pp. 685-704).ETRR has this article ( NTID-RR 1530 ).

*Gannon, J.R. (1981). Deaf heritage: A narrative history of Deaf America. Silver Spring, Md: National Association of the Deaf.. (In Reference area on the 1st floor and 5 copies on the 4th floor- HV2530 .G36. 4 copies available at ETRR).
There are examples of deaf humor and folklore in Chapter 8, information about Deaf schools in Chapter 1, etc.

Marschark, M. & Spencer, P.E. (Eds). (2003). Oxford Handbook of deaf studies, language and education. New York: Oxford University Press.(4th floor, HV2380 .O88 2003).
The Handbook of Deaf Studies, Language, and Education is the definitive professional reference work in the field of deafness research. This volume covers all important aspects of deaf studies: language, social/psychological issues, neuropsychology, culture, technology, and education. Each chapter, written by an acknowledged authority in the field, contains a state-of-the-art review of an important aspect of research concerning individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. The book also includes comprehensive bibliographies and a glossary. The editors are from the two primary institutions for research and post-secondary education of deaf individuals and were founding editors of OUPs Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education. The Handbook is intended for researchers, educators, educational administrators, service-providers such as audiologists, speech therapists, and school psychologists, as well as graduate students in the field of deaf studies. (from Amazon).

Turkington, C. & Sussman, A. (Eds.) (2000). The Encyclopedia of deafness and hearing disorders. New York: Facts on File. (In Reference area on the 1st floor-REF RF290 .T93 2000)
Short entries in dictionary like format.

*Van Cleve, J.(Ed.) (1987). Gallaudet encyclopedia of Deaf people and deafness. New York: McGraw-Hill.. (In Reference area on the 1st floor and on the 4th floor- REF HV 2365.G35 1986).
Look at the article in Volume 1 by Yerker Anderson, "Culture and Subculture" which gives a definition of culture and how it applies to the concept of Deaf Culture. Check out the "Cochlear Implants" article by J.M. Prickett in Volume 1. Check out articles on Sign Language in Volume 3, pp. 22-134 which discuss various aspects of sign languages such as facial expressions, history, other countries' sign languages and more. Use the index in Volume 3 to find related articles under the following headings: Deaf Community, Deaf Population, Education, Folklore, History.

BOOKS-Books are good places to get in-depth information and the historical background of an issue. They are not good places to find recent information. Check the bibliography (list of resources) at the end of most books to find other suggestions of where to find related articles and books. Most Deaf-related books are in the HV 2350 are on the 4th floor.

You can find books about Deaf Culture in the Einstein Catalog. Note you can browse the entire catalog, the video catalog or the e-content catalog. Do a Word Search using the entire catalog and try these keywords: deaf culture, american deaf culture or just deaf* The asterisk at the end of the word deaf* will give you variants of that word root such as deafened, deafblind, etc.Try the Subject Search to retrieve ALL records. Do not use the asterisk when you do a subject search.

Remember that we now have e-books via netLibrary. If we have the title via netLibrary, click on the title link to read the book on-line. Go to the E-Content Catalog via Einstein Catalog to search for ebooks and ejournals. They are the equivalent of print books and are up-to-date and recent.

Most of the book descriptions are from the Clerc Center at Gallaudet University.(Alston, 2000 from the WWW site: http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/infotogo/547.html) unless otherwise noted. Amazon bookstore and publishers' websites or catalogs have also been used for other book descriptions.

Deaf Culture Book List

Aymard, L.L. & Winstanley, C. (1992). Reflections on the language and culture of Deaf Americans. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co. (1st floor REF HV 2471.H45).
Presents a collection of articles addressing topics in deaf culture, facts about hearing loss, and the history of American Sign Language (ASL). Designed to give the student of ASL an appreciation of the American deaf community and its language. Recommended articles: "Two Views of Deafness" p. 35 by Chris Wixtrom; "Inside the Deaf Community" p. 153 by Barbara Kannapell; "Name Signs as Identity Symbols in the Deaf Community" p. 157 by Kathryn Meadow; and "Reflections of American Deaf Culture in Deaf Humor" by M.J. Bienvenu.. (Amazon Bookstore web site).

*Bragg, L. (2001). Deaf world: A historical reader and primary sourcebook. New York : New York University Press. (4th floor, HV2545 .D43 2001).

*Carbin, C. (1996). Deaf heritage in Canada: A distinctive, diverse & enduring culture. Toronto; New York, NY: McGraw Hill Ryerson. (Oversized collection, 4th floor- HV2576 .C38 1996-2 copies).
Numerous topics are covered: early attitudes toward educating deaf people, deaf settlers in prairie provinces, occupations, and organizations of deaf Canadians, and the little-known story of their involvement in two world wars.

*Cebe, J. (Eds.). (1992). Deaf studies for educators: Conference proceedings. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University, College for Continuing Education. (4th floor HV2526 .D422 1992)
Presentations from the 1991 March 7-10 conference focuses on integrating the educational curriculum with the study of culture, ASL, and the literature and arts of deaf people. Other papers discuss bilingual/bicultural programs and considerations as well as sociological implications of deaf studies.

*Cohen, L.H. (1994). Train go sorry: Inside a Deaf world. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. (4th floor, HV2561.N72 N35 1994-2 copies).
The title is an ASL idiom meaning "missing the boat," a concept which captures the miscommunication that occurs between deaf and hearing people individually and societally. As a hearing child, Leah Cohen grew up and formed her identity at the Lexington School for the Deaf in Queens, NY. She illuminates the struggles and triumphs of the deaf world through student accounts.

Corker, M. (Ed.). (July 1997).The end of deafness?: Deaf people, deaf genes and deaf ethics. Deaf Worlds, 13, 2. Gloucestershire. UK: Deaf Worlds. (Over 4th floor, HV2395.E54 1997).
This issue contains papers from the 1997 Deaf Futures Symposium at the University of Central Lancashire that explored the serious questions and concerns of Deaf people on medical ethics and the advances in genetic research.

*Erting, C.J., Johnson, R.C., Smith, D.L., & Snider, B.N. (Eds.). (1994). The Deaf way: Perspectives from the international conference on Deaf culture. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press. (4th floor, HV2359 .I487 1989-3 copies).
This book chronicles the historic gathering at Gallaudet University of over 6,000 deaf people from around the world who attended "The Deaf Way," an international conference on deaf culture in July 1989. The 153 articles focus on topics related to deaf societies around the world.

*Farb, A. B. (Ed.). (1997). Who speaks for the Deaf community? Silver Spring, MD: National Association of the Deaf. (1st floor REF HV 2545.W446 1997 and 4th floor).
This book offers views from over 20 authors. Open and honest dialogue among deaf, hard of hearing and hearing persons. Opinions are informative, meaningful and thought-provoking.questions.

*Farb, A.B. (Ed). (1998). Unrealized visions: What's next for the Deaf and hard of hearing community? Silver Spring, MD: National Association of the Deaf. (4th floor HV2545 .U57 1999).
This monograph from NAD contains papers on issues concerning the deaf and hard of hearing community, along with each writer's own ideas and views. Topics include deaf minorities, CODAs, AIDS and mental health care, deaf comployees and entrepreneurs, cochlear implants and more. Each section includes a short biography of the author, their qualifications and accomplishments.

*Garretson, M.D. (Ed.). (1990). Eyes, hands, voices: Communication issues among Deaf people. Silver Spring, MD: National Association of the Deaf. (1st floor REF HV2471 .E958 1990-1 copy and 4th floor-3 copies; ETRR has 2 copies).
The 30 articles in this monograph discuss diverse aspects of communication including total communication, the value of ASL in deaf education, Cued Speech, communication in the deaf community, bilingualism and more.
NTID Professor, William Newell wrote "ASL Is Not a Four-Letter Word: Deaf Education Can Dance With the Boogieman", p. 97. Recommended article: "Personal Reflections: Current Issues on Language and Communication Among Deaf People" by Barbara Kannapell, p. 65.

*Garretson, M.D. (Ed.). (1991). Perspectives on deafness. Silver Spring, MD: National Association of the Deaf. (1st floor REF HV2380 .P457 1991and 4th floor).
More than 30 writers who have had extensive involvement with deaf people present their views. The articles, representing the diversity in the deaf community, share views, experiences, and perspectives which may appear to be conflicting, inconsistent or contradictory.Check out the article "Importance of a Cultural Identity" by Jack Gannon p. 55 & "Can Deaf People Survive 'deafness'? by MJ Bienvenu, p. 21. NTID professors Gerald Bateman wrote "Perceptions on Political Activism: Definitions and Attitudes", p. 7; Robert Davila wrote "Freedom of Choice: From Limited Options to Unlimited Opportunity", p. 43; Alan Hurwitz wrote "Notes on My Education", p. 71. Poems listed are: "words from a mother to her deaf child" by Merv Garretson; "My Own Broken Shell & My Dark Side" by Ken Glickman; "Voices, Voices" by J.H. Hogan, "They Say I'm Deaf" by Saul Kessler; "Eye Song" by Salvatore Parlato and "Shared Beauty" by Robert Smithdas.

*Garretson, M.D. (Ed.). (1992). Viewpoints on deafness. Silver Spring, MD: National Association of the Deaf. (1st floor REF HV2390 .V54 1992 and 4th floor).
Contains more than 30 articles written by well-known authors and poets giving their perceptions on being deaf and on deaf people.
Yerker Anderson wrote "Sociological Reflections on Diversity Within the Deaf Population", p. 7. NTID professors wrote: "The Black Deaf Experience" p. 49 by Robert Davila, "Community Issues and Political Activism", p. 19 by Gerald Bateman; "Back to the Future with "ye Compleat Communication"", p. 97 by Robert Panara and "Early ASL Training for Hearing Families with Deaf Children", p. 109 by Geoffrey Poor. Poems listed are: "A World of Silence" by Patrick Campbell; "Words from a Mainstreamed Deaf Student" by Merv Garretson; "Me to Sign?" by Ken Glickman; "Language for the Eye" by Dorothy Miles; "Late Deaf" by Salvatore Parlato; and "Know Consequence" by Joseph Rosenstein.

*Garretson, M.D. (Ed.). (1993). Deafness: 1993-2013. Silver Spring, MD: National Association of the Deaf. (1st floor REF HV 2545.D43).
Contains 30 articles written by well-known authors and poets offering a broad spectrum of perspectives and opinions focusing on the future of the deaf community.NTID professor Ross Stuckless wrote "Automatically Changing Speech into Captions" p. 155 and William Castle wrote "Visions for the NTID: Past and Present" p. 19. Recommended articles: "Fifty Years of Technology in Six Scenes" p. 39, by Judy Harkins; "The Construction of Deaf Identity" p. 41, by Tom Holcomb; "The Deafhood Papers"p. 67, by Paddy Ladd and "Constructions of Deafness" p. 73, by Harlan Lane. Poems listed are: "Diminishing Returns" and "March 13, 1988" by Howard Busby; "Deaf or Something?" by Ken Glickman; "The Worst Signers Watch Their Hands" by Merv Garretson; "Hands" by Greg Kuzma; "October" by Rex Lowman; "Lady With Mandolin (upon viewing a portrait)" by Lawrence Newman; "To You Who Hear" by Sal Parlato; "Life Within Deafness (a poem from Ethiopia)" by Kibra Taye; "Belonging....Where?" by M. Lynn Woolsey; "My Deaf Vision" by Barbara Eger and "Lydia Sigourney Counsels Mr. Clerc" by Loy Golladay.

Garretson, M.D. (Ed.). (1994) Deafness: Life & culture: A Deaf American monograph. Silver Spring, MD: National Association of the Deaf. (1st floor REF HV2545 .D55 1994 and 4th floor).
Selected articles and poetry providing insights into the diverse ethnicities, religions, cultures, philosophies, educations, and languages within the deaf community.NTID professors Peter Schragle and Gerald Bateman wrote "Impact of Captioning", p. 101. Recommended articles: "Laughing Our Way Up: Deaf Superiority Through Humor" p. 69 by Lisa Lind; "Oppression, Culture of Poverty, and Deaf People" p. 75 by Albert Linderman and "The 'How' of a Language" p. 81 by Helen Meador. Poems listed are "Like Love This Choice of a Language" by Ilene Caroom; "Soundless Frustration" by Lisa Chiango; "Sign Language" by Mervin Garretson; "Identity" by Steven Hardy; "Night Ceremony (with the light on) by Serena Leigh; "With My Hands I Can..." by Maria Okwara; "Audiogram" and "Questions for a Cochlear Surgeon" by Sal Parlato; "The Soul of Meaning" by Roslyn Rosen and "Beyond Silence" by Robert Smithdas.

*Garretson, M.D. (Ed.). (1995) Deafness: Life & culture II: A Deaf American monograph. Silver Spring, MD: National Association of the Deaf. (1st floor REF HV2545 .D55 1995 and 4th floor).
A sequel to the first monograph, this book shares thought-provoking articles, historical essays, and touching poetry. NTID Professor Robert Davila wrote "Current Issues Facing Education of the Deaf", p. 19. Poems listed are: "Estele" by Julia Alvarez; "Jennifer" and "Wittebome '72 by LIndsay Dunn; "Deaf Again" by Mer Garretson; "A Credo for Deaf Americans" by Frank Lala; "Rise Up Spirit and Pray" by Ruby Miller-Samples; "My Hands Searched Yours" by Lawrence Newman; "Field of Dreams Opening Day, Yankee Stadium" by Robert Panara and "Teach Me" by Sal Parlato.

*Garretson, M.D. (Ed.). (1996) Deafness: Historical perspectives: A Deaf American monograph. Silver Spring, MD: National Association of the Deaf. (1st floor REF HV2380 .D435 1996 and 4th floor. ETRR has 2 copies).
The historical perspectives in this book include essays on organizations and programs of and for deaf people, communication and education, profiles depicting individuals who have contributed greatly to public understanding of the deaf community, a genealogical perspective on five multi-generational deaf families, deaf studies, deaf theatre, and poetry. Rochesterian Matthew Moore wrote "The Great Treasure Hunt: What Can We Learn from Researching "Deaf History"?" Poems listed are "The Isolation of Silence" by Thomas Bluekens; "The Silent World" by Jodi Ernst; "Later" by Raymond Luczak; "Shell" and "Friends" by Ruby Miller-Samples; "My Four Senses" by Lawrence Newman; "Idylls of the Green" by Robert Panara; "Out, Loud!" and "TWO-gether" by Sal Parlato; "The Happening" by Harry Purcell and "Challenged" and "Persistence" by Robert Smithdas.

*Holcomb, R. (1985). Silence is golden, sometimes. San Diego, CA: DawnSignPress.(4th floor HV2380.H643 1985. ETRR has 2 copies).
In this revised edition of The Hazards of Deafness, amusing anecdotes enlighten and sensitize hearing people to the "deaf experience" and bring to light the problems and frustrations deaf people cope with in a hearing society.

*Holcomb, R., Holcomb, S. & Holcomb, T. (1994). Deaf culture our way: Anecdotes from the Deaf community. San Diego, CA: DawnSignPress. (4th floor HV2380 .H643 1994).
Author Roy Holcomb and his two sons (NTID professor Sam Holcomb) provide entertaining glimpses of life in the deaf community.

*Krentz, C. (Ed.). (2000). A mighty change: An anthology of deaf American writing, 1816-1864. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press. (3rd floor, PS508.D43 M54 2000, ETRR has 2 copies).
"I need not tell you that a mighty change has taken place within the last half century, a change for the better," Alphonso Johnson, the president of the Empire State Association of Deaf-Mutes, signed to hundreds of assembled deaf people in 1869. Johnson pointed to an important truth: the first half of the nineteenth century was a period of transformation for deaf Americans, a time that saw the rise of deaf education and the coalescence of the nation's deaf community. This volume contains original writing by deaf people that both directed and reflected this remarkable period of change. It begins with works by Laurent Clerc, the deaf Frenchman who came to the United Sates in 1816 to help found the first permanent school for deaf students in the nation. Partially through his writing, Clerc impressed hearing Americans–most of whom had never met an educated deaf person before–with his intelligence and humanity. Other deaf writers shared their views with society through the democratic power of print. Included here are selections by James Nack, a deaf poet who surprised readers with his mellifluous verse; John Burnet, who published a book of original essays, fiction, and poetry; Edmund Booth, a frontiersman and journalist; John Carlin, who galvanized the drive for a national college for deaf people; Laura Redden, a high-achieving student who would go on to become an accomplished reporter; and Adele Jewel, a homeless deaf woman living in Michigan. The final sections contain documents related to deaf events and issues at mid-century: the grand reunion of alumni of the American Asylum for the Deaf in 1850; the dedication of the Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet monument in Hartford; the debate over the viability of a deaf state; and the triumphant inauguration of the National Deaf-Mute College (now Gallaudet University) in 1864, which in many ways culminated this period of change. Taken together, the individual texts in this remarkable collection provide a valuable historical record and a direct glimpse of the experiences, attitudes, and rhetoric of deaf Americans during this time of change.(from Gallaudet University Press website).

Ladd, P.(2002). Understanding deaf culture: 'In search of deafhood'. Cleveland, England: Multilingual Matters. (4th floor, HV2380 .L26 2003).
This text presents a "Traveller's Guide" to deaf culture, starting from the premise that deaf cultures have an important contribution to make to other academic disciplines, and human lives in general. Within and outside deaf communities, there is a need for an account of the new concept of deaf culture, which enables readers to assess its place alongside work on other minority cultures and multilingual discourses. The book aims to assess the concepts of culture, on their own terms and in their many guises and to apply these to deaf communities. The author illustrates the pitfalls which have been created for those communities by the medical concept of "deafness" and contrasts this with his new concept of "deafhood", a process by which every deaf child, family and adult implicitly explains their existance in the world to themselves and each other. CONTENTS: Introduction - walking the tightrope- deaf community-deafness and deafhood in Western civilization - towards the development of a new conceptual framework - 20th century discourses on deafness and deafhood- culture - definitions and theories- researching deaf communities - subaltern-researcher methodologies- the roots of deaf culture - the residential school- the roots of deaf culture - deaf clubs and deaf subalterns- subaltern rebels and deafhood - the national dimension- conclusions and implications- afterword - imagined futures.(from Multilingual Matters web site).

*Lane, H., Hoffmeister, R., & Bahan, B. (1996). A journey into the Deaf-world. San Diego, CA: DawnSignPress. (4th floor HV2380 .L27 1996-2 copies. ETRR has 3 copies).
Introduces readers to the lives, language, and culture of the deaf world. Examines the history, culture and political agenda of the deaf world and provides details on the education of deaf children, deaf culture worldwide, and technology that helps or hinders deaf people.

*Lang, H. G. (2000). A phone of our own: The Deaf insurrection against Ma Bell. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press. (4th floor HE8846.A55 L35 2000).(NTID professor).
Less than one percent of the 85 million telephones in the U.S. and Canada in 1964 were used regularly by the deaf. That's when Robert Weitbrecht (physicist with the Stanford Research Institute), James Marsters (orthodontist), and Andrew Saks (businessman) started the process that led to deaf people around the world possessing an affordable phone system that they could use. All three of these enterprising men were also deaf. This book is the fascinating story of how these three diverse men collaborated to solve the technical difficulties of developing a coupling device for a teletypewriter that would translate sounds into discernible letters.With the help of an expanding corps of deaf advocates, ATT and FCC resistance to this technological innovation was overcome and a portable, fully accessible, and affordable telephone system came into being for the deaf community." (from Amazon Bookstore web site).

*Moore, M. S. (1993). For hearing people only: Answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about the Deaf community, its culture and the "Deaf reality". Rochester, NY: Deaf Life Press. (4th floor HV2545 .M66 - 2 copies).
Here, in a handy Q/A format, are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about deaf people, their community, and their language. E.g., "Is there one sign language for all countries?" "Do all deaf people read lips?" "What is Deaf culture?" "How do deaf people feel when a hearing person approaches them in public using sign language?" Each of the 60 chapters is illustrated. Easy-to-read, enjoyable introduction to a complicated subject. Written especially for those with NO background. 336 pages; includes index and bibliography. The first book of its kind. And the most popular "Deaf Studies" handbook ever! (From Deaf Life website).

*Padden, C., & Humphries, T. (1988). Deaf in America: Voices from a culture. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. (4th floor HV2545 .P33 1988 - 3 copies.; ETRR has 4 copies).
This unique book illuminates the life and culture of deaf people from the inside, through their everyday talk, shared myths, art and performances, and the lessons they teach one another.

*Rutherford, S. (1993). A study of American Deaf folklore. Burtonsville, MD: Linstok Press.(2nd floor MICROFICHE 300 no.87-26354 and ETRR GR43.D3 R87 1993).
Examines the value and function of folklore within the deaf community. Includes legends, jokes, skits, tall tales, and slurred name signs, which illustrate examples of the concept of "sign play".

*Stewart, D.A. (1991). Deaf sport: The impact of sports within the Deaf community. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.. (4th floor HV2551 .S74 1991).
This book describes the full ramifications of athletics for deaf people, from the meaning of individual participation to cultural bonding. Shows the positive psychological and educational impact of sports within the deaf community.

*Wilcox, S. (Ed.). American Deaf culture: An anthology. Silver Spring, MD: Linstok Press.(4th floor HV2530 .A547 1989-2 copies and ETRR has 3 copies).
Deaf and hearing scholars and writers explore cultural issues, ASL, social interaction in the deaf community, education, folklore and other topics.

*Woodward, J. (1983). How you gonna get to heaven if you can't talk to Jesus: On depathologizing Deafness. Silver Spring, MD: T.J. Publishers. (4th floor HV2545.W66 1982-2 copies).
This collection of articles examines deaf culture and its relationship with hearing society, profiling sociolinguistic and anthropological perspectives in research on American deaf society and culture.

*Wrigley, O. (1996). The politics of deafness. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.(4th floor HV2395 .W75 1996).
Drawing from a decade of experience among the deaf people in Thailand, Wrigley challenges theories about deaf identity and culture.

History Book List

Barnartt, S.N. & Scotch, R.K.(2001). Disability protests : Contentious politics 1970-1999. Washington, D.C. : Gallaudet University Press. (4th floor, HV1553 .B37 2001.
Barnartt (sociology, Gallaudet University) and Scotch (sociology and political economy, the University of Texas-Dallas) offer a sociological analysis of 30 years of protests, organization, and legislative victories within the deaf and disabled populations. They reveal increases in both cross-disability actions as well as disability-specific actions, and confront the question of who is "deaf enough" or "disabled enough" to represent their constituencies. They give special attention to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the 1988 Deaf President Now protest. B&w photos of protests and leaders are included. c. Book News Inc. (From Einstein Catalog)

*Burch, S. (2002). Signs of resistance: American deaf cultural history, 1900 to WW II. New York: New York University Press. (4th floor, 2 copies HV2530 .B87 2002).
During the nineteenth century, American schools for deaf education regarded sign language as the "natural language" of Deaf people, using it as the principal mode of instruction and communication. These schools inadvertently became the seedbeds of an emerging Deaf community and culture. But beginning in the 1880s, an oralist movement developed that sought to suppress sign language, removing Deaf teachers and requiring deaf people to learn speech and lip reading. Historians have all assumed that in the early decades of the twentieth century oralism triumphed overwhelmingly.
Susan Burch shows us that everyone has it wrong; not only did Deaf students continue to use sign language in schools, hearing teachers relied on it as well. In Sings of Resistance, Susan Burch persuasively reinterprets early twentieth century Deaf history: using community sources such as Deaf newspapers, memoirs, films, and oral (sign language) interviews, Burch shows how the Deaf community mobilized to defend sign language and Deaf teachers, in the process facilitating the formation of collective Deaf consciousness, identity and political organization. (From Amazon Bookstore web site).

*Christiansen, J.B. & Barnatt, S.N. (1995). Deaf president now! The 1988 revolution at Gallaudet University. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.(4th floor HV2561.W18 C48 1995-2 copies).
The account of an extraordinary week in deaf history traces the demonstration in March 1988 that protested the selection of a hearing person as president of Gallaudet University and resulted in the historic appointment of its first deaf president.

*Dunai, E.C. (2002). Surviving in silence: A Deaf boy in the Holocaust. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press. (4th floor, DS135.H93 D863 2002).

*Fischer, R., & Lane, H. (Eds.). (1993). Looking back: A reader on the history of Deaf communities and their sign languages. Hamburg, Germany: Signum Press; Washington, DC: Distributor for the U.S., Gallaudet University Press.(4th floor HV2367 .L66 1993).
Researchers detail historical developments around the world in a book organized into six core topics: deaf biographies, deaf communities, sign languages and sign systems, deaf education and daily life at school, sociological and philosophical issues as well as methodological and theoretical issues.

*Gaillard, H. (2002). Gaillard in Deaf America: A Portrait of the Deaf community, 1917. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press. (4th floor, HV2545 .G35513 2002)

*Gannon, J.R. (1981). Deaf heritage: A narrative history of Deaf America. Silver Spring, MD: National Association of the Deaf. (1st floor REF HV2530 .G36 and 4th floor-6 copies; ETRR has 4 copies).
This in-depth history of deaf America contains interesting vignettes and biographical profiles, and numerous engravings, photographs and illustrations.

*Gannon, J.R. (1989). The week the world heard Gallaudet. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press. (4th floor, HV2561.W18 G36 1989).
This book presents a day-by-day account of the events surrounding the DPN movement as it unfolded at Gallaudet University 1988 March 6-13.

*Groce, N.E. (1987). Everyone here spoke sign language. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.(4th floor HV2561.M49G76 1985-2 copies)
Developed from the oral accounts of more than 50 witnesses, this book presents a detailed description of daily life early in this century when an entire community on Martha's Vineyard, deaf and hearing people alike, used sign language.

*Jankowski, K. A. (1997). Deaf empowerment: Emergence, struggle, and rhetoric. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.(4th floor HV2530 .J35 1997).
This book brings sharp focus to the critical effect of the rhetoric used by the deaf social movement, which fashions its image as a language minority within a dominant hearing culture rather than as a dispersed number of individuals with "impaired" hearing, thus challenging the hearing culture's definition of "normal." This book examines the deaf social movement in America from its inception in the 1800s through its growth and empowerment in current times.(from Gallaudet University Press web site).

*Ryan, D.F. and Schuchman, J.S. (Eds.). (2002). Deaf people in Hitler's Europe. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press. (4th floor, HV2746 .D43 2002).
Inspired by the Deaf People in Hitler’s Europe, 1933–1945, conference staged at Gallaudet University in 1998, this extraordinary collection integrates key presentations with additional important work into three crucial parts. Henry Friedlander begins Part I: Racial Hygiene by disclosing that the attack upon deaf people and people with disabilities was an integral element in the Nazi theory of racial hygiene. Robert Proctor documents the role of medical professionals in deciding who should be sterilized, forbidden to marry, or murdered. In her research, Patricia Heberer details how the Nazi’s eugenics theories allowed them to extend their lethal policies to those considered socially undesirable. Part II: The German Experience leads with Jochen Muhs’ discoveries from interviewing deaf Berliners, both victims and active members of the Nazi Party. “The Place of the School for the Deaf in the New Reich,” written by Kurt Lietz in 1934, rues the expense of educating deaf students when they could not be soldiers or bear “healthy” children. Horst Biesold confirms the complicity of teachers who turned in their own deaf students. The last part explores the Jewish Deaf experience. John S. Schuchman discusses the plight of deaf Jews in Hungary, which complements a transcript of six survivors who described their personal ordeals. The reflections of Peter Black conclude this vital study of a little-known chapter of the Holocaust.(From Gallaudet University Press website).

Literature Book List

*Batson, T.W. & Bergman, E. (1985). Angels and outcasts: An anthology of Deaf characters in literature. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press. (3rd floor PN6071.D35A6 1985-2 copies).
Dickens, Welty, and Turgenev are only three of the master storytellers in Angels and Outcasts. This remarkable collection of 14 short stories offers insights into what it means to be deaf in a hearing world.The book is divided into three parts: the first section explores works by nineteenth-century authors; the second section concentrates on stories by twentieth-century authors; and the final section focuses on stories by authors who are themselves deaf.Each section begins with an introduction by the editors, and each story is preceded by a preface. Angels and Outcasts concludes with an annotated bibliography of other prose works about the deaf experience. In addition to fascinating reading, it provides valuable insights into the world of the deaf. (from Gallaudet University Press web site).

*Bragg, B. & Bergman, E. (1981). Tales from a clubroom. Washington, DC: Gallaudet College Press.(3rd floor PS3552.R248T3-3 copies).
Set in a typical deaf club, this play dramatizes the reality of the deaf community-its joys, pains, humor and triumphs-underlining certain traits about the human situation.

*Eastman, G.C. (1997). Sign me Alice and Laurent Clerc: A profile-two Deaf plays. San Diego, CA: DawnSignPress.(Sign me Alice 1974 edition is available on the 3rd floor PN3185.G3E12 - 2 copies. 1997 edition is available on the 3rd floor PS3555.A717 S5 1997-2 copies. There is a companion classroom guide).
These plays are works about deaf people and deaf culture. Sign me Alice derives its inspiration from "My Fair Lady" with Signed English used to train an ASL-using "lady".

*Krentz, C. (2000). A mighty change: An anthology of deaf American writing, 1816-1864. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press. (3rd floor, PS508.D43 M54 2000)
"I need not tell you that a mighty change has taken place within the last half century, a change for the better," Alphonso Johnson, the president of the Empire State Association of Deaf-Mutes, signed to hundreds of assembled deaf people in 1869. Johnson pointed to an important truth: the first half of the nineteenth century was a period of transformation for deaf Americans, a time that saw the rise of deaf education and the coalescence of the nation's deaf community.This volume contains original writing by deaf people that both directed and reflected this remarkable period of change. It begins with works by Laurent Clerc, the deaf Frenchman who came to the United Sates in 1816 to help found the first permanent school for deaf students in the nation. Partially through is writing, Clerc impressed hearing Americans–most of whom had never met an educated deaf person before–with his intelligence and humanity.Other deaf writers shared their views with society through the democratic power of print. Included here are selections by James Nack, a deaf poet who surprised readers with his mellifluous verse; John Burnet, who published a book of original essays, fiction, and poetry; Edmund Booth, a frontiersman and journalist; John Carlin, who galvanized the drive for a national college for deaf people; Laura Redden, a high-achieving student who would go on to become an accomplished reporter; and Adele Jewel, a homeless deaf woman living in Michigan.The final sections contain documents related to deaf events and issues at mid-century: the grand reunion of alumni of the American Asylum for the Deaf in 1850; the dedication of the Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet monument in Hartford; the debate over the viability of a deaf state; and the triumphant inauguration of the National Deaf-Mute College (now Gallaudet University) in 1864, which in many ways culminated this period of change. Taken together, the individual texts in this remarkable collection provide a valuable historical record and a direct glimpse of the experiences, attitudes, and rhetoric of deaf Americans during this time of change.(from Gallaudet University Press website).

Medoff, M. (1980). Children of a lesser God. Clifton, NJ: J. T. White.(3rd floor PS3563.E27 C47 1982-2 copies. Video is in the 5 day collection 1st floor).
The winner of a Tony Award, this plays tells the story of a deaf woman who refuses to succumb to hearing society's image of what a deaf person should be.

*Peters, C. (2000). Deaf American literature: From carnival to canon. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press. (4th floor, HV2471 .P38 2000).
"The moment when a society must contend with a powerful language other than its own is a decisive point in its evolution. This moment is occurring now in
American society." Cynthia Peters explains precisely how ASL literature achieved this moment, tracing its past and predicting its future in this trailblazing study.
Peters connects ASL literature to the literary canon with the archetypal notion of carnival as "the counterculture of the dominated." Throughout history
carnivals have been opportunities for the "low," disenfranchised elements of society to displace their "high" counterparts. Citing the Deaf community's long
tradition of "literary nights" and festivals like Deaf Way, Peters recognizes similar forces at work in the propagation of ASL literature. The agents of this
movement, Deaf artists and ASL performers–"Tricksters," as Peters calls them–jump between the two cultures and languages, creating as synthesis that robs English of its literary content and raises ASL to an art form. Peters applies her analysis to the craft's landmark works, including Douglas Bullard's novel Islay and Ben Bahan's video-recorded narrative Bird of a Different Feather. This text, the only work of its kind, is its own seminal moment in the emerging discipline of ASL literary criticism.

*Stremlau, T.M. (Ed.). (2002). The deaf way II anthology: A literary collection by deaf and hard of hearing writers. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.(3rd floor, PS508.D43 D43 2002 ).

Opposing Viewpoints Book List

*Bertling, T. (1994). A child sacrificed to the Deaf culture. Wilsonville, Or. : Kodiak Media Group (4th floor HV2534.B47 A3 1994-3 copies and ETRR has 2 copies).
Bertling shares his subjective and unpopular (with the deaf community) views on deaf culture, deaf education, and deaf children. He attended a residential school and has deaf family members.This controversial book was written for educators and administrators, parents of deaf children, and those having a professional or social interest in the deaf. (From Amazon Bookstore website).

*Bertling, T. (1997). No dignity for Joshua : More vital insight into Deaf children, Deaf education, and Deaf culture. Wilsonville, Or. : Kodiak Media Group (4th floor HV2545.B395 1997-2 copies and ETRR has 2 copies).
Bertling surveys and offers subjective opinions on such controversial issues as cochlear implants, sexual abuse at residential deaf schools, militancy within the deaf community and deaf community leadership. Contributes to the on-going dialogue and debate of issues key to deaf community interests and to the education and assimilation of deaf children.(From Amazon Bookstore website).

*Bertling, T. (1998). American sign language: Shattering the myth. Wilsonville, Or. : Kodiak Media Group. (4th floor, HV2471 .A63 1998).
This controversial and unprecedented collection of essays from distinguished and respected scholars marks the turning point in the education of the deaf. Headlined with compositions and documents written by the late Dr. Larry G. Stewart and Prof. Frances M. Parsons, both once members of the faculty of Gallaudet University, the book opens the door for new thinking. With additional contributions from Dr. Otto J. Menzel, Dr. Donald F. Moores, Dr. Truman W. Stelle, and PhD student Patrick W. Seamans, all of these writers venture into the heart of deaf language and cultural issues and reward us with the kind of critical thinking largely absent from many proponents of ASL-based learning. Topics regarding the failure of Deaf education, Bilingual-Bicultural, immoral intimidation tactics, and other pressing points are mentioned. Personal accounts that go against the traditional ASL mindset are also given.(From Amazon Bookstore web site).

*Bertling, T. (2001). An intellectual look at American Sign Language : Clear thinking on American Sign Language, English, and Deaf education. Wilsonville, Or. : Kodiak Media Group. (4th floor, HV2474 .I563 2001).
This book encompasses contributions from some of the researchers, educators, and commentators on sign language communication. In addition to American Sign Language, the contributors discuss deaf education, the importance of English reading and writing skills, deaf culture, ethical questions, Cochlear Implants, residential schools for the deaf, and the future of education and life for deaf children. The subjective opinions and unpopular (with the deaf community) in the book challenges and shows skepticism toward the ASL-based approach to learning for the deaf.(From Amazon Bookstore web site).

*Bertling, T. (2002). Communicating with deaf children. Wilsonville, Or: Kodiak Media Group. (4th floor, HV2471 .C66 2002).
Cochlear implants and the claims of culture? / by Dena S. Davis -- English language acquisition of children with cochlear implants / by Melissa Chaikof -- Language development in deaf children / by Frank Bowe -- Communication modalities and English literacy / by Gerilee Gustason -- What is deaf culture? / by Patrick Seamans -- Thirty years of cued speech: A compilation of international research results / by Paulette Caswell -- English acquisition for deaf children / by Glenn T. Lloyd.

*Winefield, R. (1987). Never the twain shall meet: Bell, Gallaudet and the communication debate. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press. (4th floor, HV2471.W56 1987 - 2 copies)
The opposing viewpoints of Gallaudet and Bell, who started an educational debate in the middle of the 19th century that continues today, are presented: Should sign language be used in deaf education or should deaf children deail with a hearing, speaking world on its own terms?

Sign Language/Communication/Sociolinguistics Book List

*Baker, C. & Padden, C. (1978). American sign language : A look at its history, structure, and community. Silver Spring, MD: T.J. Publishers. (4th floor-HV2474.B28; ETRR has 2 copies).
This short brochure provides an excellent insight into the rich history of American Sign Language and Deaf Culture.

*Baker, C. & Battison, R. (Eds.). (1980). Sign Language and the Deaf community: Essays in honor of William Stokoe. Silver Spring, MD: National Association of the Deaf. (4th floor HV2474.S545 and ETRR has 4 copies).
This collection of essays written by professionals in the field of sign language research describes how sign language is used in society and how research on sign language has altered society's understanding of deaf people and their culture.

*Baynton, D. (1996). Forbidden signs: American culture and the campaign against sign language. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.(4th floor HV2471 .B39 1996-3 copies).
This book explores American culture from the mid-19th century to 1920 through the lens of one striking episode: the campaign led by AG Bell and other prominent Americans to suppress the use of sign language among deaf people. The metaphors and images used to describe the deaf: outsiders, beings of silence, innocence and mystery, users of a language seen as ancient and noble or primitive and animal-like - offer a unique perspective for examining American thought and culture. Recent changes in the images of deafness and sign language are discussed. (From the University of Chicago Press web site).

*Emmorey, K. & Lane, H.L. (Eds.). (2000). The signs of language revisited: An anthology to honor Ursula Bellugi and Edward Klima. Mahwah, N.J. : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. (4th floor, HV2474 .S573 2000),
Students and collaborators honor Bellugi and Klima, scholars of signed language at The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, with 28 studies in the historical and comparative analysis of sign languages, language in the visual-spatial modality, the linguistic analysis of sign languages, language acquisition, and the neural organization of sign language. They also include three reminiscences. Specific topics include sign languages and sign language families in Thailand and Viet Nam, attention resources and working memory as a new framework for studying the impact of deafness on cognition, the phonological and prosodic layering of non-manuals in American Sign Language, enhanced gestural input to children in the bimodal period, and clues from signers with Parkinson's Disease into the structure of language as motor behavior. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

*Klima, E. & Bellugi, U. (1979). The signs of language. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.(4th floor HV2474.K53-2 copies and ETRR has 2 copies).
NTID professor Susan Fischer contributed to this book (as well as other authors).
This book is for use by linguists, educators, anthropologists who were in the 1970's and the 1980's beginning to realize that ASL was not a manual gesture system mimicking English, but rather a language in its own right. Dr. Bellugi and Dr. Klima have been working on exploring this language for the past 30 years, both in studying native signers (the prelingually deafened of deaf parents) and also in studying aphasics in the deaf community in comparison to aphasics in the hearing community. This particular book sticks mostly with elucidating the grammar, the lexicon, the syntax, and all the other components which make up ASL. (From Amazon Bookstore web site).

*Lucas, C. (2001). The sociolinguistics of sign languages. New York: Cambridge University Press.(ETRR HV2474 .S62 2001 only).
This is an accessible introduction to the major areas of sociolinguistics as they relate to sign languages and deaf communities. Clearly organized, it brings together a team of leading experts in sign linguistics to survey the field, and covers a wide range of topics including variation, multilingualism, bilingualism, language attitudes, discourse analysis, language policy and planning. Each chapter introduces the key issues in each area of inquiry and provides a comprehensive review of the literature. (from Cambridge University Press web site)

Lucas, C., Bayley, R. & Valli, C. (2001). Sociolinguistic variation in American Sign Language. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.(4th lfoor HV2474 .L832 2001).
This book provides a complete description of American Sign Language (ASL) variation. For four decades, linguists have studied how people from varying regions and backgrounds have different ways of saying the same thing. For example, in English some people say "test," while others say "tes'", dropping the final "t." Noted scholars Ceil Lucas, Robert Bayley, and Clayton Valli led a team of exceptional researchers in applying techniques for analyzing spoken language variation to ASL. Their observations at the phonological, lexical, morphological, and syntactic levels demonstrate that ASL variation correlates with many of the same driving social factors of spoken languages, including age, socioeconomic class, gender, ethnic background, region, and sexual orientation. Internal constraints that mandate variant choices for spoken languages have been compared to ASL as well, with intriguing results. Sociolinguistic Variation in American Sign Language stands alone as the new standard for students and scholars committed to this discipline. (from Gallaudet University Press web site).

*Lucas, C. (Ed.).(1998). Pinky extension and eye gaze: Language use in Deaf communities. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press. (4th floor HV2474 .P56 1998).
This volume's ten meticulously prepared chapters reflect the refinements of research in six major sociolinguistics areas. Rob Hoopes' work, "A Preliminary Examination of Pinky Extension: Suggestions Regarding Its Occurrence, Constraints, and Function," commences Part One: Variation with a sound explanation of this American Sign Language (ASL) phonological characteristic. Part Two: Languages in Contact includes findings by Jean Ann on contact between Taiwanese Sign Language and written Taiwanese.
Priscilla Shannon Gutierrez considers the relationship of educational policy with language and cognition in deaf children in Part Three: Language in Education, and in Part Four: Discourse Analysis, Melanie Metzger discusses eye gaze and pronominal reference in ASL. Part Five: Second-Language Learning presents the single chapter "An Acculturation Model for ASL Learners," by Mike Kemp. Sarah E. Burns defines Irish Sign Language as Ireland's second minority language after Gaelic, in Part Six: Language Attitudes, the final area of concentration in this rigorously researched volume. (from Gallaudet University Press web site).

Lucas, C. (1989). The sociolinguistics of the Deaf community. San Diego: Academic Press.(4th floor HV2471 .S57 1989 2 copies).
This is a unified collection of the best and most current empirical studies of sociolinguistic issues in the deaf community, including topics such as studies of sign language variation, language contact and change, and sign language policy. Established linguistic concerns with deaf language are reexamined and redefined, and several new issues of general importance to all sociolinguists are raised and explored. This is a book which will interest all sociolinguists as well as deaf professionals, teachers of the deaf, sign language interpreters, and anyone else dealing on a day-to-day basis with the everyday language choices that deaf persons must make.(from Academic Press web site).

*Metzger, M. (Ed.). (2000). Bilingualism and identity in Deaf communities. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.(4th floor HV2471 .B55 2000).
Is perception reality? Editor Melanie Metzger investigates the cultural perceptions by and of deaf people around the world in volume six of the Sociolinguistics series Bilingualism and Identity in Deaf Communities. "All sociocultural groups offer possible solutions to the dilemma that a deaf child presents to the larger group," write Claire Ramsey and Jose Antonio Noriega in their essay, "Ninos Milagrizados: Language Attitudes, Deaf Education, and Miracle Cures in Mexico." In this case, Ramsey and Noriega analyze cultural attempts to "unify" deaf children with the rest of the community. Other contributors report similar phenomena in deaf communities in New Zealand, Nicaragua, and Spain, paying particular attention to how society's view of deaf people affects how deaf people view themselves. A second theme pervasive in this collection, akin to the questions of perception and identity, is the impact of bilingualism in deaf communities. Peter C. Hauser offers a study of an American child proficient in both ASL and Cued English while Annica Detthow analyzes "transliteration" between Spoken Swedish and Swedish Sign Language. Like its predecessors, this sixth volume of the Sociolinguistics series distinguishes itself by the depth and diversity of its research, making it a welcome addition to any scholar's library. (from Gallaudet University Press website)

*Root, J. (1999). The politics of visual language. Ottawa : Carleton University Press. (4th floor HV2395 .R66 1999).
This book is a ground-breaking study of the political socialization of children who are deaf. Debate has raged for years over how to educate the prelingually deaf - those children who cannot acquire language "normally" (that is, orally and aurally). While the battlelines have been drawn by the proponents of oralism versus manualism and their hearing supporters, two linguistic dilemmas facing D/deaf people remain constant: a conscious choice is always made for them as to the way they will be taught, and either method of language acquisition results in a form of marginalization. The Politics of Visual Language is a fascinating and unique perspective on the whole process of political socialization; unique because previous studies in this field have assumed that all participants in the process can hear. This work studies those who cannot hear and, while it attempts an impartial assessment of all educational methodologies, will undoubtedly raise new questions within the Deaf community and beyond. Sociologists, educators, medical professionals, linguists, psychologists and political scientists will have to reconsider the emotional and political effects of current assumptions about the socialization process. (from McGill-Queen's University Press ).

*Stokoe, W.C. (1980). Sign and culture: A reader for students of American Sign Language. Silver Spring, MD: Linstok Press.(4th floor HV2474.S52. ETRR has 2 copies).
This book is a selection of papers that appeared in Sign Language Studies between 1972 and 1979. Contributors discuss the intricate connections between a signed or spoken language and the society that uses it. NTID professors Susan Fischer wrote an article "Verbs in American Sign Language" p. 149-179 and Linda Siple wrote "Visual Constraints for Sign Language Communication" p. 319-333;

*Supalla, S. (1997). The book of name signs: Naming in American Sign Language.San Diego, CA: DawnSignPress. (4th floor HV2474.S866 1992).
This book helps readers understand, create, and use name signs following the ASL rules of formation and use. Describes the history and traditions of the name sign system in the deaf community. Includes a list of over 500 name signs, rules for formation and appropriate use of name signs, and insights about the origins of name signs.

*Winston, E. (Ed.). (1999). Storytelling and conversation: Discourse in Deaf communities. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press. (4th floor HV2474 .S76 1999).
NTID Professors or Rochesterians Karen Christie, Dorothy Wilkins and Betsy McDonald wrote "GET-TO-THE-POINT: Academic Bilingualism and Discourse in American Sign Language and Written English" p. 162.
In this intriguing book, renowned sociolinguistics experts explore the importance of discourse analysis, a process that examines patterns of language to understand how users build cooperative understanding in dialogues. It presents discourse analyses of sign languages native to Bali, Italy, England, and the United States.
Studies of internal context review the use of space in ASL to discuss space, how space in BSL is used to "package" complex narrative tasks, how signers choose linguistic tools to structure storytelling, and how affect, emphasis, and comment are added in text telephone conversations. Inquiries into external contexts observe the integration of deaf people and sign language into language communities in Bali, and the language mixing that occurs between deaf parents and their hearing children.
Both external and internal contexts are viewed together, first in an examination of applying internal ASL text styles to teaching written English to Deaf students and then in a consideration of the language choices of interpreters who must shift footing to manage the "interpreter's paradox." Storytelling and Conversation casts new light on discourse analysis, which will make it a welcome addition to the sociolinguistics canon.(from Gallaudet University Press website).

Sociology/Anthropology Book List

*Benderly, B.L. (1990). Dancing without music: Deafness in America. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press. (4th floor HV2545.B39-6 copies).
This book offers insightful discussion about being deaf and its ramifications in society, the relationship between thought processes and language, whether spoken or not, and the rights of deaf people.

*Branson, J. (2002). Damned for their difference: The cultural construction of deaf people as "disabled": A sociological history. Washington, D.C.: Gallaudet University Press. (4th floor HV 2380.B685 2002).
Until the recent recognition of Deaf culture and the legitimacy of signed languages, majority societies around the world have classified Deaf people as "disabled," a term that separates all persons so designated from the mainstream in a disparaging way. This text offers a well-founded explanation of how this discrimination came to be through a discursive exploration of the cultural, social, and historical contexts of these attitudes and behavior toward deaf people, especially in Great Britain.
Authors Jan Branson and Don Miller succeed brilliantly in placing significant people and events into broad cultural settings to examine the orientation toward and treatment of deaf people. They explore the scientific rationalism and the middle-class thirst for reason through education in the eighteenth century; the "moral therapy" and missionary zeal of educators of the poor in the first half of the nineteenth century; the professionalism and bureaucratization coupled with imperialism, evolutionism, and eugenicism that dominated the second half of the nineteenth century; the eugenic policies and increasing alliances among proponents of professionalism, medicalization, and bureaucracy through the wars of the first half of the twentieth century; the rebellious and revolutionary moves against restrictions on individual rights through the 1960s and 1970s; the widespread deinstitutionalization through the 1980s; and the multiculturalism and assertion of ethnic rights and identities through the 1990s.
This wide-ranging study explores the varied constructions of the definition of "disabled," a term whose meaning hinges upon constant negotiation between parties, ensuring that no finite meaning is ever established. Branson and Miller’s cross-cultural analysis introduces the implications of the grandiose architecture of eighteenth-century asylums for deaf people, sideshows at town fairs, and the methods of treating conditions deemed as pathological. The text provides a sociological understanding of disabling practices that combines history and biography with the study of social structures and processes in a way that has never been seen before.(From Gallaudet University Press web site).

*Brueggemann, B.J. (1999). Lend me your ear: Rhetorical constructions of deafness. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press. (4th floor HV 2380.B69. ETRR has 2 copies).
The tradition of rhetoric established 2,500 years ago emphasizes the imperative of speech as a defining characteristic of reason. But this book exposes this tradition's effect of disallowing deaf people human identity because of their natural silence.Brueggemann's assault upon this long-standing rhetorical conceit is both erudite and personal; she writes both as a scholar and as a hard-of-hearing woman. In this broadly based study, she presents a profound analysis and understanding of this rhetorical tradition's descendent disciplines (e.g., audiology, speech/language pathology) that continue to limit deaf people. Next to this even-handed scholarship, she juxtaposes a volatile emotional counterpoint achieved through interviews with Deaf individuals who have faced rhetorically constructed restrictions, and interludes of her own poetry and memoirs.
The energized structure of Lend Me Your Ear galvanizes new thought on the rhetoric surrounding Deaf people by posing basic questions from a rhetorical context: How is deafness constructed as a disability, pathology, or culture through the institutions of literacy education and science/technology, and how do these constructions fit with those of deaf people themselves? The rhetoric of deafness as pathology is associated with the conventional medical and scientific establishments, and literacy education fosters deafness as disability, both dependent upon the premise that speech drives communication.
This kinetic study demands consideration of deafness in terms of the rhetoric of Deaf culture, American Sign Language (ASL), and the political activism of Deaf people. Brueggemann argues strenuously and successfully for a reevaluation of the speech model of rhetoric in light of the singular qualities of ASL poetry, a genre that adds the dimension of space and is not disembodied. Ironically, without a word being spoken or printed, ASL poetry returns to the fading, prized oral tradition of poets such as Homer. The speech imperative in traditional rhetoric also fails to present rhetorical forms for listening, or a rhetoric of silence. These and other break-out concepts introduced in Lend Me Your Ear that will stimulate scholars and students of rhetoric, language, and Deaf studies to return to this intriguing work again and again. (from Gallaudet University Press web site).

Corker, M. (1998). Deaf and disabled, or deafness disabled? Philadelphia: Open University Press. (4th floor HV 2380.C69 1998).
Deaf people's quest for self-definition and self-determination has tended to take one of 2 divergent paths each embracing vastly different and often conflicting conceptualizations of deafness and disability and their relationships to contemporary socio-cultural and political contexts. Because fragmentation works against collective empowerment and effective political challenges to oppression, there is a great need to identity a common discourse which all deaf and disabled people can share without compromising fundamental beliefs and values. This book is the first to use a multidisciplinary, postmodernist approach in the search for an inclusive framework for understanding deafness and disability, which aims to liberate the political potential of socio-cultural diversity and develop our thinking about disability as a form of social oppression. In using this approach, it exposes the essentialism inherent in existing social, politicial and service frameworks which confuse issues of needs and rights and contribute to the creation and reinforcement of the power imbalances at the heart of disability oppression. (From book cover).

*Higgins, P. (1980). Outsiders in a hearing world: A sociology of deafness. Beverly Hills, Calif. : Sage Publications. (4th lfoor HV2395.H53-2 copies).
This book offers a sociological perspective on what it is like to be deaf, and discusses some of the basic issues confronting the deaf community- identity, stigma, interaction with deaf and hearing people, and social status.

*Higgins, P.C. & Nash, J.E. (Eds.). (1987) Understanding deafness socially. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas (4th floor HV2545.U53 1987at WML only; (1996 edition is HV2545 .U53 1996-3 copies and ETRR has 2 copies).
In this collection of articles on the social dynamics of deafness, the authors explore socialization of children who are deaf and hard of hearing, lifelongadaptive behavior, deafness and family life, and other important issues.

*Lane, H. (1992). The mask of benevolence: Disabling the Deaf community. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.(4th floor HV2537 .L36 1992; 1999 edition is HV2537 .L36 1999 at WML only).
"Let the deaf be deaf" is the message of this book. The author views deafness as a state different from hearing, and deaf people as a societal minority who should be treasured, not eradicated.

*Maher, J. (1996). Seeing language in sign: The work of William C. Stokoe. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.(4th floor HV2534.S76 M35 1996).
Recounts Stokoe's work which scientifically proved that ASL completely meets the linguistic critera to be classified as a fully developed language.

*Neisser, A. (1990). The other side of silence: Sign Language and the Deaf community in America. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.(4th floor HV2545.N44 1983 -3 copies and Archives-1 copy).
Chronicles the culture of and issues within the deaf community through interviews and research from across the country.

*Parasnis, I. (Ed.). (1996). Cultural and language diversity and the Deaf experience. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.(4th floor HV2545 .C85 1996 -2 copies).
Presents a perspective that deaf people should be considered a cultural and language minority group rather than as individuals with an audiological impairment. Eighteen essays contributed by deaf and hearing educators, linguists, researchers, and community members support the efforts of deaf people to have ASL recognized in the planning of educational policies and curricula. NTID professors and/or Rochesterians who have contributed articles are: Ila Parasnis, "On Interpreting the Deaf Experience within the Context of Cultural and Language Diversity"; Susan Foster, "Communication Experiences of Deaf People: An Ethnographic Account"; R. Greg Emerton, "Marginality, Biculturalism, and Social Identity of Deaf People"; Gerald C. Bateman, "Attitudes of the Deaf Community Toward Political Activism"; Bonnie Meath-Lang, "Cultural and Language Diversity in the Curriculum: Toward Reflective Practice"; Susan C. Searls and David R. Johnston (Translated from the ASL by Susan D. Fischer and the Authors) "Growing up Deaf in Deaf Families: Two Different Experiences"; Patrick A. Graybill, "Another New Birth: Reflections of a Deaf Native Signer"; Gary E. Mowl, "Raising Deaf Children in Hearing Society: Struggles and Challenges for Deaf Native ASL Signers"; Dianne K. Brooks, "In Search of Self: Experiences of a Postlingually Deaf African-American"; Lynn Finton "Living in a Bilingual-Bicultural Family" and Patricia DeCaro, "On Being Both Hearing and Deaf: My Bilingual-Bicultural Experience"

*Sacks, O. (1989). Seeing voices: A journey into the world of the Deaf. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.(4th floor HV2370 .S23 1989 -3 copies)
This book takes us into the world of deaf people and the ways in which they were seen and treated in the past. Sacks looks at the present situation of deaf people, which, all too often, is still one of misunderstanding and mistreatment.

*Schein, J.D. (1989). At home among strangers. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.(4th lfoor HV2545 .S29 1989).
This book presents a portrait of the deaf community as a complex social network spanning the nation, including the history and culture of the deaf community, its structural underpinnings, intricacies of family life, issues in education and rehabilitation, economic factors, and interaction with the medical and legal professions.

*Van Cleve, J.V., & Crouch, B.A. (1989). A place of their own: Creating the Deaf community in America. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.(4th floor HV2530 .V36 1989 -2 copies).
Using original sources, this text traces the development of American deaf society to show how deaf people developed a common language and sense of community. Views deafness as the distinguishing characteristics of a distinct culture.

*Van Cleve, J.V. (Ed.). (1993). Deaf history unveiled. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.(4th floor HV2367 .D4 1993 -2 copies; ETRR has 3 copies)
Fourteen essays by well-known scholars highlight the latest findings on the history of deaf people throughout the world during the past four centuries. Presents new evidence of self-determination of deaf people, and examines patterns of suppression.

JOURNALS, PERIODICALS, MAGAZINES-These are good places to find recent information on a topic. Use the NTID Deaf Index.

Use the Gallaudet Index to Deaf Periodicals to help you find citations on your topic. The Gallaudet Index DOESN'T index recent information. Deaf Life Magazine is highly recommended and we keep back issues in bound format on the 2nd floor PER HV2350.D45.

When you find a citation you like and want to locate the journal or magazine, use the Einstein Catalog to find the journal title and the location. It may be available in print on the 1st floor on the Current Magazine Shelves or at the Reserve Desk, in bound periodical format (Deaf Life magazine) on the 2nd floor, on microfilm/microfiche on the 2nd floor, and/or online via a full-text database. For citations on American Sign Language, try the online database Linguistics Abstracts for citations. Full-text articles may be found via ABI Inform, Academic Search Elite, FirstSearch- ERIC, MLA Bibliography and OMNI.

There is an ASL - Deaf Culture Journal Guide . The guide lists the web and database links for you for all journal titles. Some recommended periodicals are: Deaf Rochester News, Silent News, Deaf Life, Journal of Deaf Studies and Education (available on-line), American Annals of the Deaf (available on-line), Views, Sign Language Studies and there are more. An interesting article to read is: Welsh, W.A. (1991). "A hearing person in a thoroughly deaf environment: My experiences in an undergraduate class for deaf students." Rochester: NTID. (ETRR NTID RR 1417).

NEWSPAPERS-These are good places to look for current information or to get an overview of the day-to-day coverage of a particular issue. Try the ABI-PROQUEST or Academic Search Elite databasesl to get newspaper articles.

VIDEOTAPES-s.See the WML ASL and Deaf Culture Video Guide. There are also videotapes at ETRR-NTID (only faculty and staff may borrow videos, but students can view videos at ETRR). See the NTID-ETRR ASL and Interpreting Video List .The Media Resource Center-ETC in the basement of WML also has some videos and you must view the videos in the viewing room (there are about 15 tvs and vcrs). If you use the Einstein Catalog, you can find videos on deaf culture by searching the video catalog. Use both keyword and subject searches to retrieve all records. Check out the video "See What I Mean: Differences Between Deaf and Hearing Cultures" HV2545 .S44 2001 (WML, 1st floor, 5 day collection) and at ETRR VIDEO 6657.

WWW-Check out the Deaf Internet Resources. You can click on ASL, Deaf Culture and History, Multicultural Deaf, Deaf Resources etc. to find good web links related to your topic. Check out Info to Go from Gallaudet University which has online "quick reference" sheets.

FACT SHEETS- We have quick reference short papers on various topics from Gallaudet University REF HV 2353.N375 and SHHH REF HV 2353.S53 in the reference area on the 1st floor.

Created by Joan Naturale
Email: JXNWML@rit.edu
Links checked 17 August 2004.