Publication Date

2007-12-12

Availability

Open access

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PHD)

Department

Teaching and Learning (Education)

Date of Defense

2007-11-06

First Committee Member

Elizabeth Harry - Committee Chair

Second Committee Member

Batya Elbaum - Committee Member

Third Committee Member

Marjorie Montague - Committee Member

Fourth Committee Member

Alexandra Quittner - Committee Member

Abstract

The majority of deaf children are born to hearing parents. The fact that many of these children use sign language as their primary form of communication poses a unique language barrier between them and their hearing families. In addition, for children who are born into Hispanic families, these children have limited access to Hispanic and Deaf cultures unless their families actively pursue involvement with those communities. Data were collected through ethnographic interviews and limited participant observation and analyzed by means of grounded theory methodology. The study investigated how Hispanic mothers communicate with their deaf children who use ASL as their primary language, as well as how these mothers view Deafness as a culture.

Keywords

Sign Language; Family Communication; Spanish-speaking Mothers; ASL; American Sign Language

Download

Share

COinS