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The Deaf Community as a social structureAs in education, there have developed two different levels of activity in the Deaf community. On one level we have provision and associations. On the other level we have Deaf people, their interaction and what an experienced social worker once described as " their secret language". Throughout the UK there is a network of Deaf Clubs and societies. Most have their origins in the associations initiated by Deaf people but organised by hearing missioners. Some remain as charitable bodies with their own Trust Deed and Trustees or Board of Hearing Management. Some are still dominated by the Church. In the nineteenth century, these associations catered for the moral and spiritual welfare of Deaf people as well as providing further education and often providing training in a trade. Many were stifling of initiative being wholly controlled by hearing people who could sign and could function well in the hearing world. They offered an infra-structure which allowed Deaf people to interact and provided a meeting place. Modern day social work and attitudes towards charity and care have changed these voluntary organisations to a great extent. Nevertheless, in order to find out about deafness it is still the most natural thing to ask the principal of the deaf club or the senior social worker. This infra-structure is seldom part of the deaf way(a term we will discuss later). The major interaction among Deaf people takes place on a different plane which only occasionally touches this organisation. Deaf clubs rise and fall in popularity over short periods of time, often to the complete bewilderment of the hearing officers. The social club can be seen as the heart of Community life though it would be wrong to see it as the part of that life. Nevertheless, it is the one area which hearing people have had very little contact with and on which the pressures of the hearing society are least obvious. From the social club Deaf people organise activities, care for the children and for the elderly, arrange trips, create inter-club events. This is the forum for interaction. This is where the language is most effective. This is the source of Deaf culture. Here we find the opportunity to meet new people, to court and to marry and a regular focus for adults and children(both Deaf and hearing). The larger the membership the wider the range of activities(both sports and social) and the greater the degree of social skill required. As a result, the social organisation becomes more pronounced in such Clubs. The skills of the Deaf management become greater and the value of the Club as a resource to marginal Deaf people becomes more pronounced. In most Clubs, Deaf members will take great pride in contributing something in kind to the development - possibly by making or fixing the fabric of the building or perhaps by regular provision of services. In return, the Club is the place where the language conflicts dissolve and the experiences of employment and education can be put into perspective. Higgins(1980) provides a good description of this aspect of Deaf life in the USA and Kyle and Allsop(1982) have described features of it in Britain. Jackson(1986) spends a great part of his study examining the role of the Deaf Club. He places the opportunity to socialise with other Deaf people as the principal reason for going to the Club(72% of responses). This was perceived as the main reason for others' involvement and Jackson confirms that the attendance pattern was one of a multi-faceted locus rather than of a single purpose association. Interestingly, almost half of the membership were satisfied with their leadership and half were not. Satisfaction went with the perception that the leadership was hard-working and did their best for the club. Dissatisfaction went with characteristic views such as the leadership was too secretive, or did not mix, or were only in it for themselves. You can find out more recent data on deaf lifestyle here. In many respects the Deaf Club functions as the "heart of the village of Deaf people" but the Community is more than the village community, requiring commitment, shared identity and mutual respect. |
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