Defining Deaf Culture Essay - 2071 Words

Imagine if you were a proud Native-American, or Hispanic and someone said that your culture is not real, that the way you were born is just a disability, and you should change to be more like everyone else. You would probably be quite offended. That is what the Deaf community has had to deal with constantly for the past 40 years because of the social unawareness of much of the hearing community. 90% of all deaf children are born to hearing parents who never thought much about the deaf community (Bat-Chava). That is why in mainstream society, the quality of being deaf is seen as a disability rather than something to be praised. The common view of deafness is that it is simply a person who cannot hear and â€Å"is deficient in some way because†¦show more content†¦Many feel strongly that the deaf do in fact have their own culture, Pat O’Doherty strongly stated: â€Å"I’m Deaf! Just like I’m American with a capital ‘A’, I’m Deaf with a capital ‘D’† (â€Å"Deaf, not Impaired†). It is widely believed that the only difference between deaf and hearing people is their means of communication. But the deaf have an entirely different culture complete with their own history, customs, and social etiquette. Though it is not acknowledged by many people, deaf culture should be considered as a legitimate culture. To classify a minority as possessing a culture, it is important to first examine the meaning and function of a culture. By definition, culture is: â€Å"the totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought characteristic of a community or population† (â€Å"Culture†- The American Heritage Dictionary). Language also plays a big part in defining culture, it is not just a way to communicate, but it also determines the way we think, and how we perceive the world around us (O’Neil). History is another c omponent of culture; it tells us where we have been and where we are going, and â€Å"shapes our views of the present† (â€Å"The Importance of History†). When a culture has well-founded history, it allows them to answer questions to existing problems (â€Å"The Importance of History†). â€Å"It has been said that he who controls the past controls the future† (â€Å"The Importance of History†).Show MoreRelatedDeaf Art Is More Than Just A Painting Or Drawing1715 Words   |  7 PagesDeaf Art Deaf art is more than just a painting or drawing. So, what exactly is Deaf art? Deaf art is something that can bring together the Deaf Community. The feelings that the Deaf experience are now brought onto a canvas. Art plays a huge role in the Deaf community. After all, the Deaf are thought of as the best visual people. Deaf artists bring their Deaf pride and pour their hearts out into their art works. They are great role models to the people in their community. The first Deaf artistsRead MoreIs Deafness a Disability or a Way of Living?1593 Words   |  7 PagesTwo centuries ago, the Deaf community arose in American society as a linguistic minority. Members of this community share a particular human condition, hearing impairment. However, the use of American Sign Language, as their main means of communicating, and attendance to a residential school for people with deafness also determine their entry to this micro-culture. Despite the fact that Deaf activists argue that their community is essentially an ethnic group, Deaf culture is certainly different fromRead More Ethnic Minorities in America Essay2219 Words   |  9 Pagesas women, homosexuals and people with disabilities. By definition, the hearing majority classifies Deaf people as minorities because of their inability to hear. Yet linguists and social scientists argue that the basis of Deaf peoples status as a minority group is not one of disability, but as a cultural and linguistic minority (Lane, Hoffmeister and Bahan: 1996: 335-6). In order to assert that Deaf people are a linguistic and cultural minority in America the characteristics of a minority group mustRead MoreMean Little Deaf Queer By Terry Galloway Essay1817 Words   |  8 PagesThe book, Mean Little deaf Queer, a memoir, by Terry Galloway, is a powerful autobiography that gives insights about her life. Not only has she coped with a disability, but she also had to deal with being queer and overcoming the many obstacles of accepting this reality. Terry Galloway, grew up viewing herself as an outsider because of the responses she received from other individuals as her body transformed. She proclaimed herself as a child freak from the moment her body began to change, and whenRead MoreMulticultural Issues in the Helping Profession Essay3828 Words   |  16 Pagesour country â€Å"it is estimated that by the year 2050, no more than 50% of the population will be of Anglo ancestry† (Cillo, 1998). It is also important to consider and recognize the number of sub-cultures that exist such as interracial couples, the disabled such as children with autism, and homosexual cultures. In this new era we live in, interracial marriages and relationships are becoming more customary than forty years ago. When the immigration policy changed allowing more Asians and HispanicsRead MoreA Jerney in to the Deaf World15812 Words   |  64 PagesJourney Into Deaf-World Chapter 1 Chapter one is basically an introduction to the issues that are discussed throughout the book. Chapter one introduces all the people that are constantly referred to throughout the book. Ben Bahan is the narrator and introduces us to Jake Cohan, Laurel Case, Roberto Rivera and Henry Byrne. Ben is a CODA, Child Of Deaf Adults, and like many CODA’s tried to stray from the deaf community be was eventually drawn back to it. He is currently teaching at the only deaf collegeRead MoreThe Importance Of Deaf Culture1445 Words   |  6 Pagesoneself within a â€Å"culture† due to the unique social, behavioral, and physical traits each culture represents themselves with. As I began learning about the hallmarks of Deaf culture such as â€Å"language, heritage art and history†, I began wondering about how the historical significance of each one impacted the modern choices of Deaf individuals (Holcomb 17). Our textbook Introduction to American Deaf Culture makes references to how important American Sign Language is to define the Deaf community whichRead MoreThe Problem Of Deaf Culture1434 Words   |  6 PagesDeaf culture is a way to start this essay. Most people, when they think of deafness, assume that it is nothing more than a disability. This is erroneous because defining what deaf really means, means looking past the definition and looking into the heart of a deaf person, to see equality among us a ll. Equality among humans isn t controversial, but what is? Cochlear Implantation is controversial. Inserting an internal disruption of the deaf culture is controversial. Placing an electronic device inRead MoreTypes Of Communication Of Starbucks Baristas Essay1579 Words   |  7 PagesVarious Types of Communication of Starbucks Baristas A discourse community is a group of people who share common interests and have their own unique communication system. Communication is crucial in defining the discourse community. For example, outsiders may not understand a conversation between two professional doctors or engineers because their conversation might contain too much unique terminology. Researching the communication of discourse communities can help us have a better understandingRead MoreManaging Diversity in the Workplace Essay1140 Words   |  5 Pageshave much respect for the multi-ethnic groups among our society. I was born and raised as a Jewish Orthodox and am now more of a mix between a Conservative and a Modern Orthodox Jew. While growing up, I was instilled to respect and not condemn a culture of another kind even though I was constantly ridiculed throughout grade school by my fellow classmates of my ethnic background. That unceasing mockery made me feel insecure about who I was and where I came from. As I got older, my insecurity changed

Cja 224 Week 1 Free Essays

CJA/224 Monday April 15, 2013 The American Criminal Court Systems The American criminal court systems are made up of Federal and State courts. The State court deals mainly with civil, traffic, and family issues. The Federal court handles more serious violations which include federal and government violations and issues between actual states. We will write a custom essay sample on Cja 224 Week 1 or any similar topic only for you Order Now If the case is either federal or state trial courts determine guilt and convictions. Our court systems are very complex, but recently Community courts have been added and that is used for less offense, and mostly used for mediation. The Federal court consists are military courts, international courts and trading, and also includes ninety four district courts. The district courts are used for trials and convictions. The Federal court systems also deal with all tax situations. The Federal courts have twelve circuits in the appellate courts. The appellate courts are used for appealing cases that were once heard in trial. If you want to appeal your conviction, the appellate court is where you should have your case heard. The Supreme Court is the highest possible court. It has nine justices with one chief justice. The Supreme Court only hears about two hundred cases a year, so it is very rare for the justices to accept to hear your case if you chose to try and appeal within the Supreme Court. The dual court system explains that both the Federal and State courts work separately under one judicial government. As I had stated above, the Federal court deals with national law and the State courts deal with state and civil. They both rarely work together, both courts work under one government but work almost completely separate from one another. The constitution of the United States is based off Federal laws which do apply to the country as a whole, which includes all the states. Federal laws are universal all over the country, as the state laws vary from state to state. Each state has the opportunity to create its own laws for that state, which is why you notice laws are different in one state to another. Our nation follows either common or civil law. Common law was first established in England in the Middle Ages, as civil law first was established in continental Europe around the same time and was also applied o Spain and Portugal. Common law isn’t based on statues as civil law is which can be confusing for most. Civil law is codified, which has shaped our court systems. This allows appropriate punishment for each offense brought to the court room. The Judge has a role to bring all the evidence out in a civil law system and the applicable code is applied to each case. This has shaped our court systems because the Am erican court systems is strongly common law based which was brought from England in the Middle Ages. Civil law is practiced in America, just in a small amount, mostly in state courts. Louisiana is a great example of the civil law system. Louisiana has a strong French and Spanish influence, and the civil system did once start in England and Spain. The Criminal justice system serves three main purposes in the United States. The three main purposes are to investigate, to prosecute, and to punish crimes. The most basic role in the criminal justice system is to investigate crimes and allegations. If the law enforcement feels as if the investigation is complete and needs further investigation the cases are sent to the correct attorneys. Prosecuting offenders is another purpose in the criminal justice system. If the alleged crime violated is deserving of prosecution then the cases is taken to court (state court) and is handled by the prosecuting attorney. The criminal justice systems doesn’t only investigate and prosecute, it also punishes offenders for their crimes. There are many different types of punishment which include fines, probation and jail time. Not only does the criminal justices system punish but it also has programs for prisoners to take once they are released from jail or taken off probation to help them from repeating the crime they were already punished for in the beginning. This is what the criminal justice systems call rehabilitation programs. References: 1. Walker, Samuel (1992). â€Å"Origins of the Contemporary Criminal Justice Paradigm: The American Bar Foundation Survey, 1953-1969†. Justice Quarterly  9  (1). 2. Neocleous, Mark (2004). Fabricating Social Order: A Critical History of Police Power. London: Pluto Press. pp. 93–94. ISBN How to cite Cja 224 Week 1, Papers

Corporal Punishment Speech free essay sample

The Degree of Pain Hi, my name is Isabel and I am here to talk to you about a sickening problem in America. I refuse to pretend like this isnt happening in our nation for any longer. Who here has ever been in trouble at school? Maybe you just got yelled at or had to serve a detention? If you lived in Texas, Tennessee or any of the other 19 states that allow corporal punishment in schools, you would be hit with a wooden paddle as a punishment in front of all of your peers. This happens to students of every age from primary school up until high school. It is vital that corporal punishment in schools is outlawed because it is inhumane, ineffective, teaches children violence, and teachers should not have the responsibility to hurt children. Corporal punishment is defined as â€Å"any punishment in which physical force is used and intended to cause some degree of pain or discomfort† (Time Magazine). We will write a custom essay sample on Corporal Punishment Speech or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This type of punishment is legal in public schools in twenty U.S. states. Students are hit with anything from a paddle, which was originally invented to punish slaves, to a belt, a ruler, and other things. Some are even slapped, pinched, dragged across the floors, or grabbed on the arm or neck with enough force to leave a bruise. It makes me sick that people think that this behavior is okay. Students can be punished for cursing, failing to complete work, getting a bad grade, etc. It is used in primary, middle, and high schools. Children with disabilities are not exempt from this type of punishment. According to Time magazine, in Tennessee, disabled students are paddled more than twice the rate of the general student population. Anna M, the mother of an autistic child speaks out against corporal punishment. Her son of seven years old was physically punished repeatedly because his teacher believed that he was purposely making mistakes. Are we going to stand by and let this happen? Corporal punishment is still condoned because many schools do not have the resources to provide training for alternate teaching methods. Furthermore, schools claim that it is necessary because corporal punishment is performed right away and â€Å"cost effective†, meaning that all you need is a paddle. No busing is necessary for after school  detentions or resources for alternate punishments. In my opinion, these school’s arguments are weak. Detentions can be given out during school (in school suspension) or during student lunches, instead of corporal punishment. Corporal punishment is morally wrong and must be put to an end. The entire point of corporal punishment is to teach children and teens a lesson. They are supposed to be taught to learn from their mistakes never do what they did again. Studies show that the average child does not recognize right from wrong on their own until age 16. This means that all corporal punishment done in primary and elementary schools does not have any benefit to the child and is not teaching them. We are allowing our children to get physically abused at young ages with no educational benefit, or even a valid reason. Additionally, physical punishment is not allowed in juvenile centers, and yet it is allowed in schools? That to me, is extremely alarming. Time Magazine stated that â€Å"a 1997 Supreme Court ruling found that the Eighth Amendment only protects convicted criminals from cruel and unusual punishment, not students confined to a classroom.† If we protect criminals, shouldn’t we protect America’s children from all harms way? Corporal Punishment teaches children that physical punishment is acceptable. By using it in school, a learning environment, children will be more prone to hurting others when they are older. A study by Elizabeth Gershoff showed that corporal punishment is associated with 2/3 of abusive parents in the U.S. She also found that it results in increased aggression by 50%. is This includes their families and children, and also possibly any workers that they may have in a job with a powerful position. Lastly, Teachers should not have the responsibility to punish students in this way. Many people do believe that it is inhumane and teachers should not be obligated to hurt children even if it is their job. Even though parents may believe in corporal punishment, it is unfair for teachers to have to possibly go against their morals. All in all, corporal punishment is inhumane and morally wrong. Not only does it have long term effects on students but is useless until age sixteen. Nobody should be forced to use this method of punishment nor suffer from it. Children are being hurt in our nation and it is our responsibility to stop it. I refuse to ignored and American need to become educated on issues in our home. I believe that by educating more Americans about this issue, action will be taken. Thank you for listening and I hope that my words have impacted you.