[nfb-db] Deafblind Group Communication

[Mussie]

Certainly "pressing" might not have been the right word, John. I should 
actually have said that I tried to encourage them. The reason for me 
attempting to "press" them was a part of my anthropological project to study 
cultural patterns and language and how people react to different types of 
behaviors that relate to communicate. For instance, it appears to me that 
trying to encourage people to appreciate and learn sign language can 
backfire depending on cultural factors (for example, here we are highly 
individualistic, whereas some of my Asian buddies seemed to readily learn 
new approaches to communication). Strictly speaking, the above is 
speculation and in no way reflects actual patterns of behavior concerning 
language and culture.
In my estimination, if you were distancing yourself from someone because 
they didn't learn sign language and you won't allow that person to interact 
with you through others intimately related to you, people will actually tend 
to perceive it as a pressure on them. I seem to notice this pattern myself. 
For example, I have a good friend from the days of junior school, but I tend 
to talk more frequently with another friend who knows sign language. The 
nonsigning friend eventually told me he feels as though I was pressing him 
to learn sign language since I had the option of the SBC to communicate with 
him.
----- 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 15, 2009 1:01 PM
Subject: Re: [nfb-db] Deafblind Group Communication


> Mussie:
>
> Thank you for sharing about pressing your friends.  But I am puzzled.  How
> is it that you got into the position to press them in the first place?  I
> mean, I have never, not once, pressed any one to learn sign language. 
> I've
> never had to ask it or insist on it or anything like that.  So I've never
> been in a position where I found it necessary or needed to press anyone.
>
> So I am really confused by what you mean . . .  Can you elaborate?
>
> John
>
>
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