Deaf culture has been described as "a way of life, a shared perspective, based on knowing the world primarily through vision" (Erting, Johnson, Smith, & Snider, 1994, p. 2). This course introduces candidates to the culture and community of Deaf people. Included are various schools of thought regarding the development of Deaf cultures and communities in North America and around the world.
The course begins with theoretical and philosophical foundations of Deafness. Next, candidates explore differences between Deaf cultures and disability cultures within a broad contextual framework that takes into account competing perspectives and definitions. The course then studies the ways in which people develop personal and social identities based on their Deafness. Candidates consider the role of Deaf cultural institutions such as Deaf clubs, Deaf sports, Deaf folklore, and Deaf humour, as well as ASL, in supporting this process.
A review of Deaf history in Europe and North America focuses on the development of Deaf communities. This is followed by a study of the Deaf cultural perspectives on issues in D/HH Education on topics such as assistive technology, communication methodology, and educational placement. The course concludes with a section on the politics of Deafness, which emphasises the importance of more Deaf people assuming leadership positions in Deaf and hearing communities and looks at political activism to achieve this end.