Deafhood: Concept! NOT Label!
Politics August 15th, 2008
Hi there,
This is my response to people who feel that I labelled people Deafhood. And also to people who have accused Deafhood as a cult. Deafhood is just a concept. No one on earth is deafhood or deafness.
To make it clear is that I do not label people at all. I realize that some people got wrong information because of one person who has made many people confused. I am extremely concerned about that.
I will be away today for camping and won’t be back till Sunday. I may be able to post your comments on Sunday or Monday.
I have learnt my lesson. There will be NO personal insulting in any response. This is about the Deafhood and my perspective nothing more nothing less.
I want you to be aware is that I have every right to reject or accept if there is any insulting or fighing (more of domestic fights) You know police officers dread that job so am I. That applies to any of you (even my closest friends, strangers, supporters, opposers). I may have every right to do whatever I decide as it is my vlog/blog.
I hope my comment will help all of us to understand and learn more aobut Deafhood. I am still learner and I am no expert. It is based on my personal research (I have two Deafhood books and people). I am more than happy to be corrected or criticized properly.
If your comment is not there, you must remember that I feel it is not appropriate and please respect my decision. I know it is not easy to make decision but somebody has to do that. Smile
Have a great weekend!
Thanks
Deafchip
August 15th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
right on !! what u had just said is “perfect” !!
i just wish this guy who had caused needless divisions & confusion just take Deafhood workshop and read the book ! then ask for forgiveness and then come aboard with us in our journey
pax
August 15th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Hello Deafchip,
Thank you very much for sharing the exact information with us today. I understand completely. Barry needs to attend the workshop as well as he needs to read the whole book. He will understand better about himself. He refuses to admit that he is very wrong. If not, the problem belongs to him.
You have an enjoyable weekend and please keep up with your good work.
Adam
August 15th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Deafchip,
I am glad that you made this blog to clarify your views. I have to admit that I made a mistake about the word, deafhood’s true meaning which I had already made an comment about how wrong I was in your previous blog.
I believe that some of people (myself including) who made an assumption that deafhood as cult is because the way people who attended the workshop glorified the workshop and recommended that everyone should (as a must) attend. That is where I draw the line. It seems that some of them could not separate the concept of deafhood as word and the workshop which caused the firestorm, that is my opinion.
I was applauded with the firestorm as you do.
I don’t quite understand what you mean by “I have two deafhood books and people”, two people?
thank you,
MBL
P.S. I usually go to deafvideo.tv but my screen name in there is not the same as this comment for a certain reason which I hope that you will understand.
August 15th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Hi again,
I wanted to ask you a question because I am quite behind in deaf advocacy groups and organizations but I am aware that I would not get an answer until you return from your vacation (hope that you have a great vacation!). Is there a such a deafhood movement, because I came across with this wording in other person’s comment in your previous blog. From what I had learned, there is only a deafhood workshop based from a book by Paddy Ladd. A workshop don’t make it a society movement?
thank you again,
MBL
August 15th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Hello Deafchip,
I understand your explanation in your blog and vlog. Now I am sorry about insulting you in other of your blog and vlog. I hope that you and I can forgive each others, okay? You and I want to be good friends, okay? Thanks
August 15th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Deafchip
not only you and I are seekers - seekers of knowledge, wisdom, balance, and happiness - but everyone else reading this.
The video in the internet is a boon to the deaf community - shaping and transforming it.
The blog-fracas on deafhood, dbc, and empowerment is exhilarating - affects many of us, for the good and for the bad.
I asked Joey Baer the question and he said he will forward the question to Paddy Ladd. Here is my question to paddy (actually everyone of you because paddy himself is also a seeker like us - look at the subtitle of his book).
?? - How would you (we) distinguish/handle between the universal nature of the deafhood development and the use of deafhood as an empowerment tool?
Would the latter wane as the Deaf achieve the goals they are now fighting for?
*******************
I was astounded on how deaf people use deafhood. I look at deafhood as a process but apparently not for those out there who latched on the concept savagely.
Not Labels, of course you are right. Deafhood is not a label to assign others or self. We all have it as part of us.
It is a concept - a theory - yes. It is a concept that can help the hearing world look at deaf people in DIFFERENT way. A shift in the mindset of the general public, let alone the souls of deaf/hoh peoples.
A deaf person signing, “me not deafhood” is a oxymoron because every deaf and hard of hearing people experience hearing loss, period. They all experience different shades of deafhood.
So that means very slowly several people will go forth and lead discussion groups of deaf and hearing people to learn more about Deafhood. Like paddy said, “at first they laughed and lated realized - it caught wildfire all over” (1992, NAD monograph)
Rome was not built in a day - the human deaf society can’t change overnight - the lives of ours on the planet revolves slowly.
Therefore you and all others vlog more - educate the world of the continuing existence of audism in our lives and we need to increase our “power” by using various ways (deafhooding ourselves is one of them) to make the world better for us and our deaf/hearing children.
Paddy is working on a second book and he told me it ll be on pedagogy of deafhood. pedagogy on deafhood through sacred psychology -
It is a genuine psychological discourse on deafhood - and I am very happy - everyone go well, be proud of your hearing loss.
Deafchip, you going to camping, me too gone without internet access for one week. I look forward to comments to your discussion.
August 15th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
DeafChip -
Yes, you were describing what you saw, like a sociologist would, not “labelling” anybody.
I like your comparison of Deafhood to other “hoods” — childhood, motherhood, nationhood, etc. The “hood” here refers to a process or a characteristic describing what one has or is going through. So childhood means that you are going through the period of being a child, motherhood means that you are a mother and going through the process of how to be a mother, nationhood means that the place has come together to be a nation, etc.
Good clarification vlog!
–Don G.
August 15th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
(forgot to add — please modify previous comment to add this):
So Deafhood just means that you have the characteristic of being Deaf and/or you are going through the process of developing the Deaf identity.
August 15th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Wow, good clear and explain.. Great job.. I see that you label signing circle as deafhood is just your way of showing an example of deafhood by using signing circle Correct? Not label as bad way but use that as an example of concept of deafhood.
Have you every consider post your vlogs at DeafVideo TV?
August 15th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
OOOPS excuse my type error.. I mean to type Ever not Every for DVTV oops
August 15th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Yes! Exactly!
August 15th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
Amen!
Well said, David! Thanks for a claify (spelling?) clear up.
I went to a Deafhood workship last year. I’ve learned alot on Deafhood course. Of course, I’ll always keep learning a new things.
Deafhood, motherhood, fatherhood, brotherhood, sisterhood, neighborhood, adulthood, etc. are not a cult or label.
I’m proud to be a Deafhood.
JF
August 15th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Hi David,
Your vlog made good valid point and clarity about deafhood in your perspectives. In fact, I understand the concepts of the termilogy with Deaf, Deafness, Deafhood, Hard of Hearing, Hearing, etc. With three dimenision of meaning of different words to share individually’s perspectives, Deaf is indeed a cultural term as the whole person. Deafhood is the natural process in everyone’s soul among our minority group through the lingustically communication and customs. That make me feel SMILE largely!
As the example of my childhood and adulthood experience in my own view of general people, I must admit that deaf and hearing people are indeed beautiful to share each other’s soul in ASL (facial expression, body language, classifiers, etc). To my own soul, they are much like a large floral gardens to interact with different colors to collaborate of loving and harmony.
I never thought about labelling anyone who is deaf or deafhood. It is a conceptual view! Yet, I have not read the Deafhood book by Paddy Ladd. I have been gone to the workshop once at Gallaudet University during the protest in 2006 and view the vlogs through NAD website. I will definitely read the book to understand the whole concept of deafhood. I love to learn and to take my own perspective everything around the world in spite of every individual’s opinion. It is good health discussion and to learn from each other upon the personal growth and knowledge increment in positive way.
I admired your courage to clarify the details of the whole concept for our audience. Everyone are entitled to express their opinions whether agree or disagree. It’s part of nature.
In addition, we live in our society to face everyday and walk through the struggle path to overcome.
Thank you for your sharing. Have a good weekend, too!
Nick Vera
August 15th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
cool, i love camping.
Have fun and i look forward to your next posts.
August 16th, 2008 at 5:26 am
I really appreciated the issue you brought to your vlog. I think it is important to discuss your view on comments made without by those who have not perused Paddy Ladd’s book about the concept of ‘deafhood’. I strongly believe that if both they and v/blog non-visitors want to respect each other or attempt to strengthen a renewed unity of signing communities, all should not make off-the-cuff comments unless they have intimate knowledge of the concept of ‘deafhood’ as well as other terms relevant to Deaf Studies. In all honesty, I will not make further comments on ‘deafhood’ because I am not fully familiar with the concept. I just started the book. From my understanding, the book is not easy to read as it was extracted from Paddy’s thesis (dissertation) with modifications. In my view, it would not make an adequate Auslan translation because Ausan is not an academic language but a social language. ASL may be different from Auslan because some deaf lecturers at Gallaudet University have probably used ASL fluently in an academic setting.
In your previous vlog, you said that you thought you had met me in Australia. When I watched your vlogs, I was not sure whether we had met. You are right. You visited me in Adelaide at the Institute of TAFE, where I worked as a lecturer. It was good to see you again. I am glad to know that you care about your Deaf Community.
August 16th, 2008 at 5:33 am
In my previous comment, the word, ‘without’ appearing in the first sentence, should have been deleted. Please excuse me.
August 17th, 2008 at 9:41 am
David,
I found myself nodding throughout your vlog. Your explanation of Deafhood as a process, a concept rather than a label is bang on. That is exactly how I look at it.
It has nothing to do with groupthink. It is unfortunate that people are offended by the term Deafhood and see it as identity politics.
I think the whole brouhaha has originated in personality clashes among former DBC core members and the current ones. Hard feelings engendered different and polarizing perspectives on the concept of Deafhood. That to me is unfortunate, but a reality that I see nowadays.
Perspectives and views throughout all different issues not only the Deaf community, but people in general have always been coloured by emotions… both positive and negative. We are seeing that now.
Shel
October 21st, 2008 at 7:03 am
Nice article. Thanks.
Eugene