[nfb-db] Deafblind Group Communication

[Haben Girma]

Seems like you can look at two people by picking out similarities, or 
picking out differences. I've wondered if people who are disabled and 
belong to an ethnic minority find themselves more drawn to people of 
their ethnicity or people who experience the same disability. It's 
interesting to observe how in some situations a characteristic is used 
to draw people together, but in other situations that characteristic is 
overshadowed by a more powerful one that pulls the two groups apart.

Mussie wrote:
> John,
> I like your comments and thoughtful responses. But I wonder why you 
> place so much emphasis on cultural variations within the same broader 
> culture concerning deaf and hearing Americans paired as couples. 
> Individual experiences and circumstances based on one's abilities, 
> rather than simply "cultural" differences, largely account for what we 
> have taken for granted as cultural variations. Of course, I am not 
> saying that Deafness and the Deaf way are not valid cultural 
> representations of the Deaf community. But as if I met someone from my 
> own cultural environmental and who shares most of my upbringing yet 
> finds my interests and tastes conflicting with hers, this speaks about 
> the differences of personal values and/or the life experiences that 
> ultimately shape us as individuals. For that reason, deaf and hearing 
> Americans share mostly broad cultural similarities, and the 
> differences are not shaped by culture but abilities in regards to 
> communication and level of enculturation and integration into U.S. 
> society at large.
> By the way, we have tried to set up an anthropology subsection at my 
> school that focuses on the anthropological approach to understanding 
> people with deafness and deaf-blindness, but budgeting issues 
> prevented the program from ever becoming a reality. Let me know of 
> your thoughts on this issue.
> Mussie
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Lee Clark" 
> <johnlee at clarktouch.com>
> To: "'NFB Deaf-Blind Division Mailing List'" <nfb-db at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, June 08, 2009 11:22 PM
> Subject: Re: [nfb-db] Deafblind Group Communication
>
>
>> Haben:
>>
>> No, I am not skeptical of deaf/hearing relationships at all.  If they 
>> can
>> communicate with each other smoothly, as you put it, and they also 
>> have a
>> trusting, confident, and respectful relationship, that's very cool.  
>> Even
>> most hearing/hearing couples have separate circles of friends--the 
>> woman may
>> get together with her lady friends weekly at a coffee shop or for 
>> book club
>> and the man may be in a bowling league, for an example.  Couples have
>> different jobs, interests, etc. and consequently they naturally have
>> different sets of friends.  Nothing unusual about that.
>>
>> I've known many intercultural couples to travel separately if both go 
>> to an
>> event that is more oriented toward one culture.  My friend Peggy, who is
>> Deaf, and her husband, Bill, who is hearing, often show up together 
>> for Deaf
>> events, but Bill tends to leave early while Peggy stays all night 
>> chatting
>> nonstop.  When Peggy goes to Bill's family stuff, she tends to leave 
>> early.
>> We are always happy to have Bill and it is nice chatting with him 
>> while he's
>> there, but we understand that he is not leaving because he dislikes 
>> us. We
>> know it's just a cultural thing.  Bill'[s family are good with 
>> communicating
>> with her and they have a good time, but they know that it's not the same
>> thing as Peggy being "at home" so they are okay with her leaving 
>> after the
>> meal while Bill lingers for a few more hours.  That's a great example 
>> of a
>> healthy relationship.
>>
>> John
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nfb-db mailing list
>> nfb-db at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-db_nfbnet.org
>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nfb-db mailing list
> nfb-db at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-db_nfbnet.org