Cultural Differences: Deaf and Hearing Researchers Working together

This article is based on several years of research done by the two authors, one of whom is Deaf and the other hearing. The paper discusses research done within the Deaf community using sign language. This is an estimated 50,000 people-the same number as those whose first language is Welsh. The Deaf community sees itself as a linguistic and cultural minority and as such is quite distinct from people with an acquired hearing loss, or those who are hard of hearing and who usually rely on written and spoken English through lipreading or writing things down. The paper sets this research in the context of cross-cultural research and looks at its connections with emancipatory research. The central discussion is in the form of a dialogue between the Deaf and hearing researchers and their personal responses to cultural differences. In the past Deaf people have been denied the opportunity of making their opinions known because research has used written or spoken language. Our research, using videocameras to record sign language and Deaf research using sign language to interview, provides a means of interviewing more suited to Deaf people than to hearing researchers. However, as the hearing culture is likely to be perceived as the dominant culture, there are bound to be differences when a hearing and Deaf researcher are working together within the Deaf community. These are the issues which we discuss within Deaf research.     

The circumstances surrounding the death of 105 elders as a result of resident-to-resident incidents in dementia in long-term care homes

Resident-to-resident incidents in dementia in long-term care homes resulting in deaths represent a growing concern among residents, family members, care providers, care advocacy organizations, and policy makers. Despite these concerns and experts’ predictions by which injurious and fatal incidents will increase in the coming years due to the projected growth in the number of people with dementia, no studies have been conducted in North America on these fatal incidents. This exploratory pilot study makes first steps towards bridging this major gap in research and practice. Using publicly available information (primarily newspaper articles and death review reports), practically useful patterns were identified pertaining to the circumstances surrounding the death of 105 elders as a result of these incidents. The findings could inform various efforts to prevent future deaths in similar circumstances, keep vulnerable and frail residents safe, and encourage researchers to examine risk and protective factors for these incidents.     

Boiled Eggs and Baked Beans - a personal account of a hearing researcher's journey through Deaf Culture

This article forms a reflexive account of the trials, pains and joys of the launch of a hearing researcher into 'Deaf Culture' - the unique world of British Sign Language (BSL) users. Three resources of reflexive data are utilised; the researcher's experiences of learning BSL with other hearing signers; participant observation data from a Unit for Deaf people with psychiatric problems and finally, experiences of interviewing members of a national organisation of Deaf people. These experiences reflect the assumptions and preconceptions the hearing world holds concerning Deaf people and the remarkable ways in which the latter rationalise them and attempt to subvert them. The intellectual issues addressed here concern the role and status of researchers within foreign settings, the problems of enculturisation and the physical and social effects experienced whilst undertaking this type of research.     

Oral health in long-term care: The implications of organizational culture

When an investigation designed to compare extant models of delivering oral health and dental services to the institutionalized elderly revealed that structural variables explained very little of the difference between effective and ineffective programs, secondary analytic techniques were employed to consider alternative explanations. The original study was a program evaluation based on a comparative case study of 12 long-term care (LTC) facilities. Data for each case included interviews with administrators, care providers, family members, and residents, administrative documentation, and clinical measures of oral health from the residents. The secondary analysis revealed the mechanisms through which the organizational context of each facility influenced the effectiveness of the oral health services. In addition, it revealed how administrative and leadership issues influenced the quality of care.     

Deaf identity construction in Malaysia

This paper focuses on the identity creation processes of Deaf people in Malaysian society using an intersectionality approach to issues of identity, disability, and Deaf studies. Deaf people belong to a marginalized community and typically experience stereotyped, prejudiced, and stigmatized treatment from the hearing community, which has a serious impact on their social and personal identity development. Without sufficient information about the process of identity creation for Deaf people, the hearing community cannot reduce inequality nor can it increase social integration and stability for the Deaf community. There is a paucity of research about this identity creation process in Malaysia, and few studies have used identity-related theories and Deaf studies to examine the issue. This study uses a constructivist point of view, employing an interpretive phenomenological epistemology in order to construct insightful accounts of participants’ personal and interpersonal experience in mainstream society. The data was analyzed using methods associated with grounded theory and constant comparative analysis in order to reveal the extent to which they identify themselves, that is linguistic minority or PWD. The findings suggest that, on the one hand, mainstream society categorizes Deaf people as Persons with Disabilities rather than as a linguistic minority; on the other hand, without realizing it, Deaf people typically accept society's evaluation by identifying with it and playing the expected roles of PWD.     

Abuse and deaf children: Some factors to consider

Deaf children are uniquely disadvantaged in terms of access to information on safety and abuse. This is often due to misunderstood linguistic and cultural needs which relate to the deaf community. Consequently, a greater number of children who are deaf are placed in potentially abusive situations when compared to their non-deaf peer group. A high percentage of deaf children have also acquired negative self-concepts. This is often due to external influences such as educational experiences and family communication. Many deaf children believe that abuse is part of their being deaf. The implications of this are that deaf children are at risk of neglect and abuse as well as long-term damage to their emotional development and self-esteem. A number of survivors of physical and sexual abuse have been referred to the National Centre for Mental Health and Deafness, Preston. Some of these referrals have been inappropriate and due to a dearth of local resources. Extremely little support is available for deaf people who have been or are being abused. There are few appropriately trained counsellors equipped with the necessary skills in communicating with deaf people and even fewer trained in deaf awareness. A number of risk factors have been identified and are illustrated in this article. Three case studies are described to highlight the issues involved.     

Integrating Couple Teamwork Conversations Into Child Welfare Practice

This article summarizes the importance of and challenges to addressing couple teamwork issues in the child welfare population. Although there is substantial evidence to support the importance of healthy adult relationships for child well-being and the prevention of child maltreatment, there are a number of barriers to addressing these couple relationships in child welfare. These barriers include diverse family configurations and uncertain relationship commitments, the individual presentation of maltreatment, and worker discomfort with these issues. Additionally, there are few relationship programs designed specifically for low income individuals, and a number of policy and environmental constraints affect couple relationships in this population. However, building upon a comprehensive practice model for child welfare known as Solution Based Casework, this article describes casework skills to initiate and maintain couple teamwork conversations. These initiation skills include assessing patterns in everyday life, building partnerships with families, normalizing and externalizing problems, and tracking interactional sequences related to parent teamwork. The maintenance skills described include maintaining a common language, utilizing family team meetings, recognizing small steps of change, keeping treatment providers on track, and making the most of setbacks. These practical guidelines will assist child welfare professionals with building couple teamwork for child protection.     

The gift of speech: why parents implant their children

In Australia cochlear implantation of profoundly deaf infants, babies, and young children is approaching 100% saturation. Why do parents choose to implant rather than learn Auslan? What is the Deaf community’s reaction to this and how will it change Sign as a living language? In this article, the author is a Deaf parent who chose to implant her Deaf child. When she initially published in a news outlet on this topic the reaction was quite heated: how terrible a parent you must be if you are denying your child Sign! This article explains the reasoning behind that decision to implant, taking issue with the notion that giving a child an ‘extra ability’ of speech means that you do not love them as they are. Nothing is natural, but everything is acquired or augmented – in all children.     

The family's role in person-centered care: practice considerations

Effective implementation of person-centered care requires a shared understanding and commitment to make it a reality by administrative personnel, direct care providers, and residents and their family members. Long-term care facilities must seek ways to engage residents' families in person-centered care through its training, policies, care planning, and documentation. Doing so may require revisions to policies and work practices, and ongoing leadership efforts to maintain this care framework within the realities of staff turnover and regulatory requirements. Developing protocols and procedures that facilitate family members' communication with staff and build consensus and shared values will result in a system that represents and honors the unique perspectives, values, and needs of each resident receiving care. It is important for facility leadership to set the tone for acknowledging the importance of family involvement in person-centered care by modeling acceptance of concerns and criticisms as valid and by acknowledging that direct care providers, residents, and their family members have a voice in care decisions. Such an approach has the greatest chance of success in promoting person-centered care and the shared values necessary to ensure its successful implementation.     

Cross-cultural Misinformation: What does special education say about Deaf people

Special education is involved in a large scale attempt to 'educate' regular classroom teachers in addition to teachers traditionally served by special education. This paper examines the information presented in special education text books to determine how issues surrounding deaf persons are presented. Chapters addressing the Deaf in 13 special education text books were reviewed. The content of each chapter was examined to determine if a pathological view (the ear as an organism that needs to be fixed) or a cultural view (the Deaf as functioning members of society, with a legitimate language, American Sign Language, and a fully founded social structure) was the underlying theme. The majority of the chapters focused on the perspective that correction and cure are more important than positive functioning and respect for language and culture. These chapters suggest that not only is there no input from the Deaf community, but there is a systematic avoidance to include Deaf viewpoints.     

Self-Care Practices and the Professional Self

ABSTRACT

Consistently and actively engaging in self-care has been shown to improve the performance of mental health practitioners by reducing burnout, vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and other stress-related psychological problems. Not only is this important to the individual practitioner’s well-being, but ethical standards also mandate the recognition and remediation of any physical, mental, or emotional self-impairment to maintain high standards of care for clients. Professionals in small communities, like the Deaf community, however, confront unique challenges in attending to their self-care. This article investigates these challenges—as well as the rewards—experienced by Deaf and hearing counselors working in mental health care with deaf clients.     

Empowerment, Identity and Participatory Research: using social action research to challenge isolation for deaf and hard of hearing people from minority ethnic communities

This paper considers the practice of empowerment within a social action approach, and the importance of an analysis of issues of identity, for an understanding of the experience of individuals and their communities. The discussion is grounded in the experience of conducting a research project on the 'needs of deaf and hard of hearing people from minority ethnic communities', living in the London Borough of Merton. The theme of 'isolation' is taken as a focus for the discussion. It was identified by respondents to be of central importance to an understanding of their experience. The Social Model of Disability and the concept of Deaf Culture are used to explore the complex set of relationships that characterise the day-to-day reality for deaf and hard of hearing people from minority ethnic communities, and recommendations are made to assist researchers and service providers in developing a more empowering practice.     

‘Civilising’ Deaf people in Tibet and Inner Mongolia: governing linguistic,ethnic and bodily difference in China

The People’s Republic of China is home to over 20 million d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing people, many among them belonging to ethnic minorities. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork in two minority regions, the Tibet Autonomous Region and the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, this article comparatively discusses findings on sign language use, education and state welfare policies. The situation in these domains is analysed through the framework of the ‘civilising project’, coined by Harrell, and its impacts on the d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing among ethnic minorities are shown. For instance, through the promotion of Chinese and Chinese Sign Language over and above the use of local sign and written languages as well as through education and the medicalisation of disabilities.     

Individual Planning with Adults who Have Learning Difficulties: key issues - key sources

For many people with learning difficulties the quality of individual assessment and planning can play a crucial role in their personal development. However, for many service providers, and service users, there is limited knowledge of current approaches and recent developments in this area of work. This article aims, then, to provide a brief overview of the key issues and key sources of information in the field of individual planning. A number of issues relating to the implementation of Individual Programme Plans are discussed. Particular attention is paid to the development of more recent approaches, such as Personal Futures Planning, which aim to place greater emphasis on self-advocacy and the involvement of 'non-service providers' in assessment and planning.     

Independence in assisted living

The aims of this study were to understand the meaning of independence for residents of assisted living and to identify factors influencing the operationalization of independence in this setting. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 17 providers and 55 residents in 17 assisted-living facilities in Georgia. Data were analyzed by using the grounded theory method. Findings show that assisted-living residents retained a strong value for independence and that independence had multiple dimensions of meaning. Whereas independence in most cases was reduced to performing everyday activities of daily living (ADLs), the multidimensional nature of meaning allowed residents with significant disability both to continue to perceive themselves as independent and to find satisfaction in their remaining abilities. Resident self-care requires significant effort from both residents and providers, but it also has far-reaching potential to help residents maintain intact identities and may hold the key to extending their stay in the assisted-living facility (ALF) environment.     

Understanding caregiving patterns, motivations, and resource needs of subsidized family, friend, and neighbor child care providers

Family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) caregivers play important roles in delivering subsidized noncustodial child care. Yet, little is known about these noncustodial caregivers. This article profiles the caregiving experiences, motivations, and resource needs of these providers, based on a survey of 301 randomly selected FFN providers in one state. Kecommendations are offered for strengthening public supports to enhance the quality of this form of caregiving.     

The Uphill Struggle: services for Deaf and hard of hearing people - issues of equality, participation and access

This article focuses upon the ways in which Deaf and hard of hearing people are excluded from participation in society. In particular, the focus is upon the ordinary expectations that members of society have in terms of participating as citizens and performing socially sanctioned, adult roles. The roles of 'citizen', 'employee', 'parent' and 'patient' are discussed. The data illustrate how the organisation and delivery of services can undermine, rather than facilitate, the performance of these roles. Despite policy emphasis on social inclusion, current services and legislation fail to provide a firm basis for the full participation of Deaf and hard of hearing people in British society.     

Elders and the courts: judicial policy for an aging America

This article examines how trial courts should address complex issues of an aging society. More older people, living longer, will enter courthouses with underlying problems that will impede effective access and court processes and will require judges to enhance linkages with community health, mental health, and social services providers. The article analyzes how court systems perceive these issues and explores how they have begun to address them. It concludes with an argument in support of innovative new approaches to assist courts in responding to emerging issues of older adults.     

Elders and the Courts

Abstract

This article examines how trial courts should address complex issues of an aging society. More older people, living longer, will enter courthouses with underlying problems that will impede effective access and court processes and will require judges to enhance linkages with community health, mental health, and social services providers. The article analyzes how court systems perceive these issues and explores how they have begun to address them. It concludes with an argument in support of innovative new approaches to assist courts in responding to emerging issues of older adults.     

User involvement and empowerment among asylum seekers in Norwegian reception centres

A considerable amount of literature has been published on conditions in reception centres for asylum seekers. The previous studies show that the life of residents in the centres is characterised by uncertainty, passivity, powerlessness and gradual disqualification. Drawing from data collected from asylum seekers and service providers in Norwegian reception centres, this article examines the tools used to counteract these processes. The article maintains that organised activities, such as language courses and user involvement in the form of cooperative councils, have an impact on the empowerment of asylum seekers. However, user motivation for participation and involvement in these arrangements is undermined, due to residents' responses on factors which operate both at the structural and relational level. The findings and questions raised in the article have wider implications for social work with asylum seekers in other European countries, as well as for current efforts being made by EU countries to regulate reception conditions for asylum seekers. Among other things, the authors relate their findings to reception standards as defined in the EU Directive on Reception Conditions for asylum seekers.