Narrative, Identity and Theory in Deaf Studies
Ben Bahan & Dirksen Bauman
Deaf Studies

The goal of this research project: "Narrative, Identity, and Theory in Deaf Studies," is to map the field of Deaf Studies by setting up an exchange between Deaf life-stories and cultural/critical theories. By doing so we address GRI Research Priority number nine: "linguistic, socio-linguistic, anthropological, and historical students of deaf culture, sign language, and the experiences of deaf people."

This project involves two concurrent activities. The first activity involves the collection of life stories of a diverse pool of d/Deaf and hard of hearing individuals in a series of three rounds. The selection of individuals will be based on the relevance of their life histories to a particular facet of the Deaf community (i.e.,race, gender, age, class, disability, sexual orientation, educational background, family background, and attitude toward deafness). It is through these autobiographical narratives that cultural identity manifests itself in complex conscious and unconscious ways, thus offering fertile ground through which we may identify the patterns, consistencies and contradictions that will serve to map the landmarks and parameters of the field.

The second concurrent includes reviewing our data and existing literature in Deaf Studies to be read alongside a core set of theoretical insights from other disciplines such as, anthropology, cultural studies, gender studies, ethnic studies, disability studies, Marxism, postcolonialism and post-structuralism to facilitate and exchange that enriches both these cultural/critical theories and Deaf Studies.

Signs of Literacy: Case Studies of Deaf Children Becoming Bilingual
Cynthia Neese Bailes, Carol Erting, L. Erting, D. Mathis, C. Reilly, M. Kleinfeld, C. Thumann-Prezioso, M. Kuntze
Education, GRI, Clerc Center

This interdisciplinary, longitudinal study examines the literacy development of six diverse deaf and hard-of-hearing children from birth to upper elementary and middle school years. The overall goals are to (1) describe the ASL and English literacy acquisition of six deaf and hard-of-hearing children in preschool classrooms where ASL and English are the languages of instruction, (2) to describe the pedagogy, including the philosophy, teaching strategies, and classroom literacy environments of the preschool teacher as well as the early literacy practices of the home, and (3) to trace and document the ASL and English literacy, and the academic achievement of these children. The central focus is on (1) how ASL and English literacy are acquired by individual children who differ in theoretically important ways, (2) how the parents', teachers', and children's use of ASL is linked to and supports emerging English literacy for these children, (3) how this linguistic and cultrual knowledge contributes to learning during interaction with adults and peers, and (4) how early classroom and home experiences contribute to later academic achievement. This proposal is for the first year of a three-year study of the second phase of this project.

Parental attachment representations and child attachment, self-concept, and adjustment in hearing families with deaf children
Patrick Brice and Talibah Buchanan
Psychology

The primary goal of the present project is to examine the relationship between attachment representations in hearing parents and development in deaf children. Adult attachment representations have been shown to be related to a variety of adjustment and mental health issues in adults, and parental attachment status has been shown to be related to child attachment status. The transmission of this attachment status is not well understand as of yet. The present investigation will continue to examine this transmission by studying hearing parents with deaf children. In addition, the relationship between parental attachment and other parent and child variables, such as self concept and behavioral adjustment will be examined. To study this issue, 30 hearing families with deaf children will be recruited. Parents will be administered the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), as well as a demographic questionnaire that explores their involvement with their deaf child and communication approaches. Children will be given the Separation Anxiety Test to assess their attachment status, as well as the Self-Perception Profile for Children to measure self-concept. Lastly, the Child Behavior Checklist will be filled out by the parents for the deaf child.

The following Gallaudet priorities are addressed:
8. The family School Relationship
9. Studies of language and cultural development among deaf children

Adolescents and Cochlear Implants: Psychosocial Issues.
Irene Leigh, John Christiansen, Deborah Maxwell-McCaw
Psychology, Sociology

NIH has recommended research on the psychosocial adjustment of deaf adolescents with cochlear implants. This study will compare the psychosocial adjustment of a sample of 30 deaf adolescents implanted for at least three years with that of 30 deaf adolescents not using the implant. Having the implant, in conjunction with demographic variables, is hypothesized to affect deaf-hearing cultural identity as well as cocial and academic fuynctioning (reported by parents and teachers). Theres, in turn, are hypothesized to affect psychosocial adjustment , measured by self-esteem, loneliness, and satisfaction with life.

Emerging Themes in the Study of Deaf Adolescents
Martha Sheridan
Social Work

This exploratory phenomenological study is a follow-up to earlier research conducted by this investigator and published in Inner Lives of Deaf Children: Interviews and Analysis (2001). The seven deaf and hard of hearing children participating in the original study, now between 13 and 19 years of age, will be re-visited. The central focus of the study will be the exploration of experiential themes which deaf adolescents report exist in their lives. The goal of the study will be to provide new information about issues among adolescents who are deaf and hard of hearing. This follow-up study will explore, through the process of naturalistic inquiry, the lifeworld of these deaf and hard of hearing adolescents. What are some of the themes which these adolescents report? How do they and their families cope with these themes? What is it like to be a deaf adolescent? What belief systems of belonging and culture exist? How do they perceive themselves and others in their lives? What do they report their experiences to be and what meanings do they ascribe to these experiences? What thoughts do they have about their futures?

Naturalistic inquiry (Lincoln & Guba, 1985), an inductive qualitative design, will be employed in this study. The primary methods used to identify themes will be observation and analysis of transcripts of video taped in-depth interviews using direct and projective interview techniques with deaf adolescents between the ages of 13 and 19.