Session 13: Language, Power and Oppression

If deaf people have lower socio-economic positions and have poorer qualifications, live with hearing people or with hearing children, are continuously puzzled by what hearing people say and are frustrated by the lack of access to information, then it is obvious that they lack power.   In many ways, it is a classic oppression scenario.  Although older now in terms of its original publication the work of Paulo Freire is still very relevant here.

There is some controversy over his ideas, but what he has to say gives us a lot of thought in the deafness field.  His way of expressing the ideas sometimes seems harsh.  However, there is great deal to learn.

The course is copyright
to the Centre for Deaf Studies and the Lecturers named above
and should not be used for any other purpose than personal study.
© 2000

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jim.kyle@bris.ac.uk