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For over 40 years, sociologists and anthropologists have identified two competing ideas
about Deaf people:
one is the "pathological perspective"
that Deaf people are about their bodies, ears, mouths, education, and other issues
or problems. It is a medical perspective.
The other perspective is the cultural perspective.
This perspective comes FROM Deaf people themselves.
It is about Deaf people as healthy, whole people who don't need to be "fixed" or "cured".
That they have a language, culture and identity of their own,
that is separate from that of Hearing people.
Recently I saw a comment by somebody who stated that some websites where they discuss EVERYTHING Deaf-related is "Deaf-centric".
Oh, really? What does it mean to be "Deaf-centric"?
Deaf-centric means that it comes from the Deaf cultural perspective
-- it's not about that ear or speech issue and trying to fit into the "Hearing World".
It's about the Deaf's language, culture, identity, and so on.
Let's compare with other groups, for example,
Blacks, Native Americans, .... even women!
Those groups have told the world that
they don't necessarily need to fit into what the majority thinks they should be.
They have their own ways of identifying themselves, behaving, and thinking.
Is their way lesser because it's different? No. They're equal.
But they're still valid.
Deaf have our own ways of thinking, identifying and behaving.
And are our ways less valid? No. They're equally valid.
Identifying what those ways are that are part of Deaf
identity, culture, values, behavior,
THAT is Deaf-centric.
Discussing hearing aids, cochlear implants, speech therapy,
Deaf education as a problem,
how to teach reading to the Deaf,
that's not about, or not NECESSARILY about being Deaf-centric.
It should come from that Deaf center, but
usually it doesn't.
Deaf-centric means coming from Deaf people's
ways and perspective that they are fine and healthy.