Connections to Class
The topic of oralism and the deaf community connects the class concepts of voice, identity, and power, acoustic community, as well as social construction of soundscape.
Voice, Identity, and Power
The theme of voice, identity, and power connects to this topic because throughout the late 19th century and into the early 20th century society believed that voice played a key role in communication and that individuals who could not speak were considered “dumb,” due to the fact that they could not communicate. Society also seemed to believe that with voice came power, and a sense of identity that was accredited to every individual. However, one does not need to physically be able to produce a voice in order to have power, or a sense of identity. Deaf individuals who can not speak and communicate through sign language definitely do have a voice as well as a sense of identity. As we learned through the documentary Through Deaf Eyes, through sign language, each individual is given a unique sign that represents their name and adds on to one’s sense of identity because the sign that is paired with one’s name usually represents a specific characteristic about that individual. Additionally, voice is not needed in order to have power. This could be seen through the example of the riots at Galladeut University, when students were protesting for a president that was more like them - deaf.
Acoustic Community
In the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century two different acoustic communities were formed in deaf schools.The acoustic community depended on whether the instruction of the school was based on a sign language approach, or whether the school adapted the oral method. An all deaf school that based their teachings on sign language would be pretty silent but there would be a connection between the individuals that were using sign language to communicate, forming an acoustic community. Someone who has no knowledge of sign language and were to try and be part of this acoustic community would most likely not understand the form of communication between these individuals, making them an outsider to this acoustic community.
Similarly, deaf individuals who were taught using the oral method would form an acoustic community over this very experience. Acoustically, deaf individuals sounded different than non deaf individuals. As also mentioned in the documentary Through Deaf Eyes, many of deaf individuals that were taught the oral method were faced with oral failures, because they were physically not able to reproduce the same vocal sounds as those of non deaf individuals.
Similarly, deaf individuals who were taught using the oral method would form an acoustic community over this very experience. Acoustically, deaf individuals sounded different than non deaf individuals. As also mentioned in the documentary Through Deaf Eyes, many of deaf individuals that were taught the oral method were faced with oral failures, because they were physically not able to reproduce the same vocal sounds as those of non deaf individuals.
Social Construction - Soundscape
The soundscape reproduced by the deaf community in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century was socially constructed. Society believed that it was important for deaf individuals to learn to produce verbal speech so that they could communicate and assimilate to the non deaf community. Additionally, society literally constructed the deaf community’s soundscape by imposing oralism on them.