Deafhood: The Deaf Experience

This is a brief clarification on what Deafhood is, and the diverse backgrounds of people who agree with this term. This is in response to those who decry Deafhood as discriminatory profiling in practice.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Deafhood
• Deaf community
• people

[deaflinux]

Hello Shel,

The Deaf experience is something I can relate with and since when I was young, I used this term, "Deaf" as an identity. I am proud of being "Deaf" and nothing else. I hate to add a new label for who I am. I have a lot of respect for people who wishes to be identified as "Deafhood" and I have no beef with that. The only beef I have is if I am not Deafhoodized and then I am a bad person. :-(

[shelpotma1]

@deaflinux I must have missed your reply, and I apologize for overlooking this. There is no such a thing as deafhoodizing. Who determines whether you're a bad person??? No one. Deafhood is simply the Deaf experience, just like womanhood is the Woman Experience, manhood is the experience of being a man. I could go on and on. Deafhood is simply a concept. The term "deafhoodizing" is just a term invented in order to stigmatize the concept that to be Deaf is OK, and even good.

[ZDragin]

dang.. too bad i don't understand a word she is saying..

[shelpotma1]

I just added an annotation in my video to direct you to my blog for the English version. I hope that is helpful.

[AliveSpirits]

YES, I agreed with you in 200%... so do not be compared other people as long as we are free speaking OUT for our sharing, RIGHT?

[shelpotma1]

Right. :)

[LeafsFanForever1974]

Super Star!!! :D

[jaboutdoors]

BEAUTIFUL!!!!

[Hartmut1940]

I sent a reply. But it seems it hasn't come through. Hope it did, see-see tomorrow if it is listed among the responses.

I said that Deaf Experience is not identical to Deafhood. Deafhood is a state of being Deaf, which is thought to be an endpoint of a journey of becoming Deaf. In philosophy, the concepts of becoming and being are key concepts. What you seem to want to say is that Deaf Experience shapes a great deal what being Deaf, namely Deafhood, is to be.

[Hartmut1940]

I view Deafhood is more than Deaf Experience. It is "being Deaf", but in a special way. What you (shelpotma1) seem to want to say is that Deaf Experience, the experience of being a deaf person growing up in hearing and deaf environments, becoming Deaf eventually, shapes our Deafhood. I guess I am a bit picky with choosing words and how to explain the nature of things. Having a positive Deafhood is the endpoint of our tour, so that we finally can say truthfully "I am deaf, but not my ears."

[DeafSweetMind]

Very powerful vlog, it s very good definition of DeafHood. I love it very much. As for me , I had been dealing with all kind of artificial languages like SEE, Total Communication that relates oral methods that confused me in many ways. Right now I get a lot of blinking lights to understand the concept of ASL that helps me to understand English better. That s too bad, I didnt get a chance to have ASL teachers for so many years. It works for most of us. :)

[hartc7]

WOW! That is a powerful message for me at this point. At the same time I am glad that profiling is not to practice in Deafhood as I used to feel and think that way. Your view has helped me deal with Deafhood a little better.

[mrjoeybaer]

Well done! Very clear and to the point. I definitely will point to this vlog whenever someone needs a clear definition of Deafhood! Thanks!!

[kaalnek]

That's a great and concise definition. Needs to be spread out and used repeatedly.. to over come the "buzz of confusion". Add me to the list- an only Deaf member in family, mainstreamed(which had an tone of "being more like Hearing was best/the only right way to go/be". I've fortunately overcome that mode of thinking.. but it has lasting effects on some classmates who still actively reject Deaf Culture and ASL as a real language concepts.. even though everybody signs(SEE/PSE).