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Binding: PaperbackDewey Decimal Number: 362.420973 EAN: 9780674194243 ISBN: 0674194241 Label: Harvard University Press Manufacturer: Harvard University Press Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 144 Publication Date: September 01, 1990 Publisher: Harvard University Press Studio: Harvard University Press Related Items:
Browse for similar items by category: Click to Display Editorial Review: Product Description: Written by authors who are themselves Deaf, this unique book illuminates the life and culture of Deaf people from the inside, through their everyday talk, their shared myths, their art and performances, and the lessons they teach one another. Padden and Humphries employ the capitalized "Deaf" to refer to deaf people who share a natural language--American Sign Language (ASL)--and a complex culture, historically created and actively transmitted across generations. Signed languages have traditionally been considered to be simply sets of gestures rather than natural languages. This mistaken belief, fostered by hearing people's cultural views, has had tragic consequences for the education of deaf children; generations of children have attended schools in which they were forbidden to use a signed language. For Deaf people, as Padden and Humphries make clear, their signed language is life-giving, and is at the center of a rich cultural heritage. The tension between Deaf people's views of themselves and the way the hearing world views them finds its way into their stories, which include tales about their origins and the characteristics they consider necessary for their existence and survival. Deaf in America includes folktales, accounts of old home movies, jokes, reminiscences, and translations of signed poems and modern signed performances. The authors introduce new material that has never before been published and also offer translations that capture as closely as possible the richness of the original material in ASL. Deaf in America will be of great interest to those interested in culture and language as well as to Deaf people and those who work with deaf children and Deaf people. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - Not What I ExpectedEver since I found out that my child may have to have a cochlear implant, I thought, I would read up on the Deaf Culture and what it is exactly. I have a CI also and while I grew up with a hearing aid, I never considered myself deaf. Whatever sign language I learned, I have forgotten. In order to help my son, I thought I'd read up on the Deaf culture and find out why I am so against their beliefs. This book didn't shed any light on it. It is a confusing book, poorly written and half ... Read More Rating: - Partial Glimpse Into Deaf cultureI read this book right after reading "A Journey Into the Deaf-World" by Lane, Hoffmeister, Bahan. The first three chapters of this are excellent, even illuminating. They show the misperceptions of both hearing on Deaf and Deaf on hearing worlds. These insights are most useful to those of us relatively on outside of Deaf culture. The remaining chapters didn't do much for my reading. There seemed to be a momentum letdown half way through that continued to the end. The "motel joke" at ... Read More Rating:  - Fascinating and informative"Deaf in America: Voices from a Culture," by Carol Padden and Tom Humphries, is a well-written, consistently interesting look at Deaf lives and communities. The introduction notes that both authors are deaf, so this book is very much written from the perspective of insiders. The copyright page notes that the book has a copyright date of 1988 and was in its 12th printing in 2000. Although relatively short (134 + vii pages), this book is packed full of information. Among the topics covered: ... Read More Rating: - Amazing eye-opening insight into the world of a cultureThis book has opened my eyes to the rich culture of deaf people. Padden and Humphries are masters at explaining the difference between deaf and Deaf and the way Deaf people relate to the world. A must-read for everyone, especially those who want to be free of stereotypes. Rating:  - More Experience than academicI had to read this book for my college ASL class. Its very good at skimming the top of Deaf culture--but it kind of left things hanging out in the breeze. The style of this book is in telling stories and explaining Deaf culture using those example. I enjoyed reading about the Deaf culture, but I don't think that this book is for anyone who wants straight facts and depth. 
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