ABSTRACT
How do deaf people live their lives as part of a larger society? Their collective consciousness and broadly shared understandings have served as a basis for their coming together as a sociological entity, even taking into account the heterogeneity of this group. Communities of deaf people have been documented since at least the 1700s (Van Cleve & Crouch, 1989) and probably earlier. When deaf persons come together, they do not necessarily feel weighted down by inadequacy. Rather, throughout time, they have been able to internalize a dynamic sense of identity and comfort in themselves as a minority group with their own traditions
Figure 9.1 Photo of group of people signing
and organizations. The 1988 Deaf President Now movement (see Chapter 1) highlighted the coming of age of the deaf community as a proud sociopolitical entity (Christiansen & Barnartt, 1995).
