ABSTRACT
Deaf women in the deaf community are considered "second class citizens," based on the tendency of all deaf persons to imitate the values of the larger society. The conservatism of the deaf community in attempting to conform to cultural norms accentuates the culture lag that is related to the communication barrier. Deafness encompasses a range of social, emotional, and cultural experiences that are unique to persons who are deaf. A profound hearing impairment early in life interferes with the socialization process. In all societies parents socialize their children by communicating cultural norms through language. American Sign Language (ASL) has a great variety of hand movements: slow, quick, long, short, and repetitive. ASL is a standard sign language in the United States, but it has its own visual dialects depending on the part of the country in which it is being used.
