ASL-210 American Deaf Culture and Community

This course is the culmination of the A.A. Degree in American Sign Language. The course is designed to encompass all the skills and knowledge necessary to think critically, discuss, and to present on topics related to Sign Language and its users. Inquiry into global d/Deaf communities and the American d/Deaf community with a focus on the language and culture will expand one's critical understanding of how linguistic minority cultures function and perhaps thrive within broader society. Examination of Deaf culture and d/Deaf communities will enhance the learner's knowledge of the language, the culture, and the community of the Deaf.

Credits

3

Prerequisite

ASL-201 or Requisite Experience

Corequisite

ASL-202

Semesters Course Will Be Offered

• Spring

For more detailed course information view the Course Outline

ASL 210: American Deaf Culture and Community

Course Description

This course is the culmination of the A.A. Degree in American Sign Language. The course is designed to encompass all the skills and knowledge necessary to think critically, discuss, and to present on topics related to Sign Language and its users. Inquiry into global d/Deaf communities and the American d/Deaf community with a focus on the language and culture will expand one's critical understanding of how linguistic minority cultures function and perhaps thrive within broader society. Examination of Deaf culture and d/Deaf communities will enhance the learner's knowledge of the language, the culture, and the community of the Deaf.

Credit Hours

3

Contact Hours

Lecture	3
Lab	0
Other	0

Semester(s) Course Will Be Offered

Spring

Prerequisites

ASL-201 or Requisite Experience

Corequisites

ASL-202

Course Learning Outcomes

1. Employ a novice-high to intermediate range of communication skills: interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational to discuss and present on topics related to Signed Languages, Deaf culture, and d/Deaf communities.
2. Articulate the distinctive cultural and linguistic features of the d/Deaf community.
3. Discuss a prominent feature of the American Deaf community and compare/contrast this feature with any other language community.
4. Articulate critical understanding of the language, the culture, and the community of the d/Deaf through signed discussions, postings, and presentations.

Topic Outline

1. American d/Deaf Culture and Community
   1. American culture (individualistic) in relation to American d/Deaf culture (collectivist)
   2. cultural practices and behaviors derived from a long period of shared history (language deprivation, oppression, disability mindset, gatekeepers)
   3. products distinct to the d/Deaf community (videophones, VRS, etc.)
   4. common visual orientation that forms the basis of Deaf culture (space, structural barriers/clear sightline, lighting)
   5. common values amongst Deaf community members (information sharing, protection of language, accessibility, advocacy)
   6. education: mainstreaming & schools for the deaf (language deprivation and language access, formation of d/Deaf identity)
2. Global d/Deaf Community
   1. ASL as the lingua franca of the wider Deaf World (ASL foundational in the structure & mutual intelligibility of many other signed languages; missionaries)
   2. status of ASL in United States in relation to Sign Languages in other countries (national-level legal recognition, World Federation of the Deaf WFD)
   3. civil rights (valued and protected) and access to language
   4. perspectives on 'd' deaf, 'D' Deaf people ("disability mindset" vs. linguistic minority group)