LOUD silence: Turning Up the Volume on Deaf Voice

Abstract

From 2014 to 2015, I curated an exhibition entitled LOUD silence, which was held in two different venues in California: Grand Central Arts Center at California State University Fullerton, followed by gallery@Calit2 at the University of California, San Diego. The exhibition offered the opportunity for viewers to consider definitions of sound, voice, and notions of silence at the intersection of both deaf and hearing experiences. The exhibition displayed prints, drawings, sculptures, videos, and several film installations, and featured work by four artists who have different relationships to deafness and hearing, including Shary Boyle, Christine Sun Kim, Darrin Martin and Alison O’Daniel. These four artists explored how the binary of loudness and silence might be transformed in politicized ways through their own specificities, similarities and differences in relationship to communication and language. The stereotypical view of the deaf experience is that they live a life of total silence, where they retain little to no concept of sound. But on the contrary, deaf studies scholars Carol Padden and Tom Humphries state that deaf people actually know a lot about sound, and sound informs and inhabits their world just as much as the next person (Padden and Humphries 1998: 91).Through these artworks, the artists aimed to loudly explode the myth of a silent deaf world, and they troubled just how “inaudible” sound really is through their own visceral experiences of it. Ultimately, I argue that the work in LOUD silence offers an avenue for eradicating deaf oppression.     

Sound Studies Meets Deaf Studies

ABSTRACT

Sound studies and Deaf studies may seem at first impression to operate in worlds apart. We argue in this article, however, that similar renderings of hearing, deafness, and seeing as ideal types—and as often essentialized sensory modes—make it possible to read differences between Sound studies and Deaf studies as sites of possible articulation. We direct attention to four zones of productive overlap, attending to how sound is inferred in deaf and Deaf practice, how reimagining sound in the register of low-frequency vibration can upend deafhearing dichotomies, how “deaf futurists” champion cyborg sound, and how signing and other non-spoken communicative practices might undo phonocentric models of speech. Sound studies and Deaf studies emerge as fields with much to offer one another epistemologically, theoretically, and practically.     

Autism and theory of mind in everyday life

The theory of mind account of autism suggests that the key social, communicative and imaginative impairments which characterise this disorder result from an inability to represent mental states. While this account has been largely confirmed by experimental work, there has, as yet, been little examination of autistic children's theory of mind outside the laboratory. The present study used the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales to measure real life social adaptation, through the report of care-givers. In particular, we were interested to find out more about the real life competence of those few autistic subjects who do pass tests of theory of mind. Autistic, mentally handicapped and normally developing children were tested with two standard theory of mind tasks. Groups of subjects who passed or failed these tasks were contrasted. We supplemented the Vineland Scales with items designed to distinguish social behaviour which necessitates theory of mind (termed Interactive) and social behaviour which could be learned (Active). We also asked about maladaptive behaviour of two sorts: Bizarre behaviour typical of autism, and Antisocial behaviour at least some of which would appear to require consideration of beliefs (e.g. deception). We found that the normally developing and mentally handicapped children showed a great deal of evidence of “mind-reading” in their everyday lives, regardless of theory of mind task performance. By contrast, in the autistic group, only those individuals who passed the false belief tasks showed insightful Interactive and Antisocial behaviour. These passers also had better verbal and communication abilities. The autistic subjects who failed the laboratory tasks showed little or no evidence of understanding mental states in their everyday lives, but many did show a high degree of simple Active sociability. Closer analysis showed that only some of the passers showed good evidence of theory of mind in their real life behaviour, and that even these were somewhat impaired relative to their age and developmental level. Implications for the theory of mind account of autism are discussed.     

Pragmatic competence,autistic language use and the basic properties of human language

The unique linguistic profile of autistic people urges linguists to address the divergences in human language, its acquisition and use among major linguistic perspectives. Fitting with the dual roles of language (thought and communication), this paper adopts an internal pragmatic competence (IPC) and a (similar) pragmatic competence for external communication (PCEC) to elucidate how autistic linguistic profile discloses the divergences between nativism and constructionism on language use and acquisition (ultimately language proper). IPC justifies why autistic people resort not to mind-reading but to self-sufficient mental interactions among organism-internal submodules or nearly intact grammatical subsystems when abstractly processing linguistic and communicative needs, contra constructionists' assumption of sole intersubjective language use. PCEC, required for facilitating the authentic intersubjective language use, explains how the dysfunction of modular interactions and their interactions with outside contexts leads to autistics' sociopragmatic impairment and the double empathy gap. In this way, the divergences, along with the possible reconciliation between the two perspectives, can be expounded.     

Preverbal Communication of Deaf and Hearing Children

Before they acquire verbal language, deaf children and those with intact hearing communicate with others with the aid of nonverbal means: facial expression, gestures, vocalizations, body movements, and glances. Our studies of preverbal communication of children with intact hearing led to the concept of a protolanguage, i.e., a preverbal system of means of communication, which is the precondition for the development of verbal speech and is formed in communication and joint object-related activity of the child and the mother. This system is social in nature and serves the purposes of communication and the expression of notions about the environment and about oneself [2-5]. How does the protolanguage of same-age deaf children and children with normal hearing differ? A study of this question is important for our knowledge about the system of means of communication of two-to-three-year-old deaf children. The language of facial expression and gestures of the deaf has often been studied in special investigations [1,6], but never in children.     

Object relations theory: Cultural and social implications for psychotherapy with individuals who are deaf

The case of Rita highlights the importance of integrating a multicultural perspective with psychodynamic theory for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Social constructivist theory suggests that the meaning and stigma of deafness influences the parent‐child relationship as well as the numerous socialization experiences that an individual encounters. As this paper shows, the Deaf community, with its unique linguistic, cultural, and social processes, played an integral role in developing whole object relations for Rita. This case exemplifies the importance of integrating psychological, sociocultural, and linguistic components, which are essential to the development of those who are deaf.     

Novel biotechnologies for eradicating wasps: seeking Māori studies students’ perspectives with Q method

Aligned with the New Zealand government’s ‘Predator-Free 2050’ target for Aotearoa New Zealand, National Science Challenge: Our Biological Heritage supports research into five distinct ‘novel biotechnological controls’ of exotic wasps. A framing question within this project is which controls are considered ‘socially acceptable’ and thus suitable for further development to control and potentially eradicate introduced wasps? How can the public answer this question without first engaging with complex technologies? Can they develop and express an informed view that still reflects their ‘gut’ reactions and unique positions? To model and explore the views of an ‘informed public’, university students in Māori studies engaged in reflection, writing and mapping activities; choice and ranking exercises; Q Method; and focus group interviews. Amongst the interviewees, Q Method analysis distinguished three ‘factors’, describing unique viewpoints: those who see the potential of biotechnologies, those who are in doubt about them and those in a position of trust in scientists. Overall, the group see potential in new biotechnologies for wasps but are wary of political, economic and social decision-making mechanisms.     

Inclusion as Social Practice: Views of Children with Autism

This study illuminates the social realities of inclusion of 16 high functioning children with autism (HFA) in public schools in the United States. The study suggests that the practice of inclusion rests primarily on unaffected schoolmates rather than teachers, who typically are occupied monitoring academic progress and disciplinary transgressions across a range of children. Utilizing ethnographic observations and video recordings of quotidian classroom and playground activities, the analysis elucidates how classmates employ a range of positive and negative inclusion practices that either integrate or distance autistic children. Ethnographic observations of the study population indicate that the children whose diagnosis was fully disclosed enjoyed more consistent social support in the classroom and on the school playground. The study further suggests that high functioning children with autism exhibit a range of reactions to negative inclusion practices such as rejection and scorn. Such reactions include oblivion, immediate behavioral response, and emotionally charged accounts of disturbing school incidents shared after-the-fact with family members. Significantly, these observations indicate that HFA children can be cognizant of and distressed by others' derisive stances and acts, despite symptomatic difficulties in interpreting others' intentions and feelings.     

城市化进程中流动人口随迁子女义务教育问题研究——以北京市城乡结合部城市化改造为例

本文以2010年以来北京市城乡结合部50个重点村城市化改造为例,对城市化改造中流动人口子女义务教育问题进行研究。频繁的城市化改造对流动人口子女义务教育产生的影响不能小觑。解决流动人口子女义务教育问题需要"解放思想,实事求是":应随城市化进程中流动人口的迁徙就近改建、扩建、新建流动人口子女学校,扩建、新建的学校都应有可移动性和非营利性特点;对城区学校空余或增扩的学位,实行积分制梯级入学办法;建立适应流动人口子女义务教育需要的财政统筹支付体系。     

Current practices in intake and service in family welfare organizations 1 : A study of the experience of eight agencies in 1934–35

Autism spectrum disorders include difficulties with social interaction, repetitive behavior, sensory sensitivity, and, often, concomitant language deficits. Psychodynamic theory is a powerful tool in explaining and treating the behavioral symptoms of autism. Specifically, the object relations theories of Melanie Klein and Wilfred Bion explicate the meanings and developmental challenges associated with autism. The epistemology of heuristics, with the use of triangulation, supports psychodynamic theory as one of multiple ways of interpreting phenomena. In this particular situation, the symptoms and presenting issues associated with autism evident in this composite clinical case are drawn from one of the author’s practice. This report illustrates the use of psychodynamic formulations and treatment in the psychotherapeutic work with a 12-year-old boy diagnosed with autism whom we call Austin.     

Notes on the Meaning of History (Conclusion)

The picture we have drawn shows clearly that the historical process has a spatial dimension. From the very first date we can establish, the stream of history flows to an ever-widening area until, finally, every place on earth where human life is possible enters the historical stage. Equally clear is another dimension: the fact that new segments of humanity were constantly entering the historical arena. This entry proceeded in two ways: in certain cases the old historical areas were supplemented by new ones populated by peoples hitherto outside the orbit of human history. In other cases new peoples left the sites of their initial habitation and intruded upon the life of old historical areas. As examples of the first way we may cite the history of the peoples of Japan, Korea, the Latins in Italy, the Celts in Gaul, etc. As examples of the second way we may cite the so-called migration of peoples, which has been observed repeatedly in history.     

Policy transfer and role of policy entrepreneur in international aid: exploring international development cases of Korea and Vietnam

This paper looks at how an innovative policy comes to be transferred to another country and be successfully implemented. We explore three key dimensions (time, location, and people) in policy transfer studies using two cases of international aid (Saemaul Undong and e-Government projects). Utilizing a case study method, this paper upholds the predominant role of the policy entrepreneur over the environment (different time frame and different social, political, economic systems). The stakeholder analysis shows that policy entrepreneur’s role is critical in making policy transfer successful. In part, this argument is in line with previous “Advocacy Networks” studies, such as that of Keck and Sikkink (1998), highlighted the importance of policy entrepreneurs being able to navigate in the networks of international development. This paper aims to contribute to the literature by applying Dolowitz and Marsh’s policy transfer framework in the international aid context and calls for further empirical research employing the network analysis method.     

儿童自闭症干预新路向——整合治疗模式

目前针对儿童自闭症患者流行的是密集式的感觉统合训练和行为训练,虽然取得一定效果,但在自闭症儿童的情绪情感上疗效甚微。本研究在梳理目前常用的自闭症方法的基础之上创造性的形成了整合治疗模式。该模式旨在以行为分析方法为主导,结合结构化教学、音乐治疗、感觉统合训练、家庭支持式咨询等方法中的各项优势,以期帮助儿童更好的全面发展。     

论轭式修辞的文化意蕴--以姜文的电影语言为例

通过对轭式修辞的结构、符号特征和文化意蕴等进行研究发现,作为符号体系,电影和语言在修辞方面有很多相通之处。语言中的生动形象、滑稽幽默等效果,同样可以通过类似的修辞手法在电影语言中获得。因此,语言的研究成果可以为电影研究甚至电影制作所借鉴。分析、对比姜文作品《让子弹飞》中所采用的轭式修辞,可为制作具有市场竞争力的影片提供一份相当有价值的参考,对振兴国产电影事业具有一定启示意义。     

Social class as a dimension in casework judgment 1

With few exceptions, outcome studies evaluating batterer treatment groups are inconclusive at best and, at worst, label such treatment programs as ineffectual. This qualitative research study was developed in an effort to understand the forces behind how positive change either happens or is subverted. Through analysis of treatment groups for batterers, the study investigated two questions: How do batterer treatment groups affect the psychological defenses of the members? What types of group dynamics emerge in offender treatment that might be unique to this population and promote defensive change? The theoretical frameworks used in this project include constructs from ego psychology related to defensive maturity and the curative factors in group process, articulated by Yalom (2005).     

Rediscovering debates in the international studies: Morton Kaplan's system epistemology revisited

In this four-part paper I attempt to recover the notion of debate as a method of philosophical analysis for the international studies. In part one, it is argued that discursive reasoning is indispensable to the task of attempting to say what international relations might consist in. Three reasons are given for this, viz., that there is an important connection between such debates and rationality; that it is a constitutive feature of natural language to want to use it for self-conscious reflections; and that it seems to be the only way of identifying the key concepts in terms of which any theorizing about international relations is to be expressed. Parts two and three are intended to show one of the uses to which discursive reasoning may be put in establishing, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the incoherence of Morton Kaplan's systems epistemology for international relations. Establishing the incoherence of one conception of what international relations consists in will go one step closer towards saying more fully what international relations is. Part four suggests, but does not attempt to make compelling, that an Aristotelian conception of the subject matter is a quite defensible one.     

Are the poor worse at dealing with ambiguity?

This paper studies the relationship between people’s ambiguity attitudes and income in the field using language as a natural source of ambiguity. It shows that the method of Baillon et al. (2017b) can be adapted for field studies, providing ambiguity measurement tasks that are more comprehensible for nonacademic subjects. Ambiguity attitudes were elicited in two groups of Chinese adolescents (poor rural and rich urban), among whom the income variation is big. In the rural group the poorer are both more ambiguity averse and more a-insensitive, whereas in the urban group the richer are more a-insensitivite. On average, the poor rural adolescents are worse at dealing with ambiguity than their urban counterparts. A-insensitivity, which measures people’s understanding of an ambiguous situation, is an important but sometimes neglected component of ambiguity attitude. Policies aiming to help people improve decisions may focus more on reducing a-insensitivity as this cognitive bias is more likely to be influenced by intervention than people’s intrinsic aversion towards ambiguity.     

Does time inconsistency differ between gain and loss? An intra-personal comparison using a non-parametric elicitation method

Several studies on time preference have found time inconsistency in both gain and loss preferences. However, the relationship between the two within the same person remains unclear; that is, does an individual who demonstrates time inconsistency for gain outcomes do so for losses as well? This paper reports on individuals’ time inconsistency for gains and losses in a laboratory setting. To obtain a precise comparison of individuals’ time inconsistency for gains and losses, we used Rohde’s “DI (decreasing impatience)-index” (Manag Sci 65(4):1700–1716, 2018) and measured the level of time inconsistency, rather than merely identifying whether TI was present. This index represents how strongly a person exhibits present bias, and easily extends to the comparison between gain and loss preferences within the same person. Further, it allows the experiment to test for so-called future bias, which has been a focus area in recent time inconsistency literature. It is elicited through a non-parametric method, which avoids any specification errors in the analysis. Our findings are as follows: first, we found future bias in preferences for not only gains but also losses, and we confirmed that this tendency is consistent with previous findings on preferences for gains. Second, a positive correlation between time inconsistency for gains and losses was found at the individual level. Indeed, we could not find a significant difference between the two in most cases.

     

Empowering migrant domestic helpers through financial education

The provision of financial education for migrant domestic helpers is an important service that could enhance their financial well‐being and the well‐being of their families. However, in that migrant domestic helpers are often excluded from protection in the host country, such services are few and empirical research in this area is rare. In this article, we report the findings of an evaluation study on a financial literacy education programme provided by a Hong Kong organisation serving Filipina and Indonesian migrant domestic workers. Using a quasi‐experimental design, we confirmed the effectiveness of the programme. Participants who attended the programme developed improved financial knowledge and behaviour. Their general self‐efficacy and financial self‐efficacy were also enhanced. Key Practitioner Message: ? Migrant domestic helpers’ financial well‐being is enhanced through intensive financial education in financial knowledge and behaviour; ? Migrant domestic helpers’ self‐efficacy is strengthened through peer discussion of financial education; ? Effective services for migrant workers in the host country need to be in the migrants’ native language and be culturally sensitive.