Crossing social boundaries and dispersing social identity : tracing deaf networks from Cape Town
| dc.contributor.advisor | Groenewald, C. J. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Heap, Marion | |
| dc.contributor.other | Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences . Dept. of Sociology and Social Anthropology. | en_ZA |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2012-08-27T11:35:25Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2012-08-27T11:35:25Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2003-03 | |
| dc.description | Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The conciliatory discourse of the South African Deaf social movement claims a commonality across South Africa's historical divides on the basis of a 'Deaf culture'. This claim in view of South Africa's deeply entrenched 'racial' divisions triggered this study. The study investigates the construction of Deaf identity and emphasizes the crossing of social boundaries in Cape Town, a society with a long history of discriminatory boundaries based on race. The study was carried out among adults who became deaf as children, the group for whom deafness, commonly viewed as both sensory and social deficit, is said to pose considerable linguistic, social and cultural challenges. It focused on strategies that deal with being deaf in a predominantly hearing world. To identify strategies, for this population without a geographical base, the study traced networks of social relationships. Fieldwork was carried out from September 1995 to December 2001. Between September 1995 and December 1997 research included systematic participant observation and informal interviews. Between January 1998 and December 2001 , continuing with participant observation and informal interviews, the study added formal interviews with a sample population of 94 deaf people across Cape Town, collected by the snowball method. The profile of this sample shows a relatively heterogeneous population on the basis of demographic factors and residential area but similarity on the basis of first language, Sign. The study demonstrates that history imposed boundaries. It categorized the Deaf as different from the hearing and in addition, in South Africa, produced further differentiation on the basis of apartheid category, age, Deaf school attended, method of education and spoken language. In this historical context the study identified a key strategy, 'Signing spaces'. A Signing space, identifiable on the basis of Sign-based communication, is a set of networks that extends from the deaf individual to include deaf and hearing people. On analysis it comprises a Sign-hear and a Sign-Q.e.gfspace. In Sign-~ networks, hearing people predominate. Relationships are domestic and near neighbourhood. In Sign-~ networks, deaf people predominate. Relationships are sociable and marked by familiarity. The study found that via the Signing space, the Deaf subvert deafness as deficit to recoup a social identity that is multi-faceted and dispersed across context. Boundaries crossed also vary by context and by networks. Sign-~ networks address the hearing boundary. Limits could be identified in the public arena, when barriers to communication and a poor supply of professional Sign language interpreters again rendered deafness as deficit. The boundaries of the Sign-deaf networks were difficult to determine and suggest the potential, facilitated by Sign language, to transcend South Africa's spoken languages and the related historical divisions. Sign-~ networks also suggest the additional potential, in sociable contexts, to transcend spoken language, trans-nationally. But mutual intelligibility of Sign language and the familiarity, communality and commonality it offered did not deny an awareness of historical differentiation and discrimination, as a case of leadership succession presented as a 'social drama' shows. However, the process of the 'social drama' also demonstrates that conflict, crises, and a discourse that reflects South Africa's historical divisions need not threaten a broader commonality. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die oorsteek van maatskaplike grense en verbreiding van maatskaplike identiteit: die nagaan van netwerke vir Dowes van Kaapstad Die bemiddelende diskoers van die Suid-Afrikaanse maatskaplike beweging vir Dowes maak op grond van 'n 'Dowe kultuur' aanspraak op 'n algemeenheid wat oor Suid-Afrika se geskiedkundige verdeeldhede heen strek. Hierdie aanspraak het, in die lig van Suid- Afrika se diepgewortelde 'rasseverdelings' , tot hierdie navorsing aanleiding gegee. Die navorsing ondersoek die vorming van 'n Dowe identiteit en beklemtoon die oorsteek van maatskaplike grense in Kaapstad, 'n gemeenskap met 'n lang verlede van diskriminerende grense wat op ras gebaseer is. Die navorsing is gedoen onder volwassenes wat as kinders doof geword het. Vir hierdie groep, waar dit gewoonlik as 'n sensoriese en sosiale gebrek beskou word, hou doofheid aansienlike linguistiese, sosiale en kulturele uitdagings in. Die navorsing fokus op strategieë wat te make het met doof wees in 'n oorheersend horende wêreld. Om vir hierdie bevolking sonder 'n geografiese basis strategieë te identifiseer, het die navorsing maatskaplike verhoudingsnetwerke nagegaan. Veldwerk is tussen September 1995 en Desember 2001 gedoen. Tussen September 1995 en Desember 1997 het die navorsing stelselmatige waarneming van die deelnemers en informele onderhoude met hulle behels. Hierdie waarneming en informele onderhoude is tussen Januarie 1998 en Desember 2001 voortgesit, maar die navorsing het nou ook formele onderhoude met 'n steekproefbevolking van 94 dowe mense van regoor Kaapstad ingesluit. Hiervoor is van die sneeubalmetode gebruik gemaak. Die profiel van hierdie steekproef toon 'n relatief heterogene bevolking op grond van demografiese faktore en woongebied, maar ooreenkoms op grond van eerste taal, naamlik Gebaretaal. Die navorsing toon aan dat grense deur die geskiedenis opgelê is. Dit het Dowes as verskillend van horendes gekategoriseer, en het daardeur in Suid-Afrika tot verdere differensiasie op grond van die apartheidskategorie, ouderdom, watter doweskool bygewoon is, wyse van onderrig en gesproke taal aanleiding gegee. In hierdie geskiedkundige konteks het die navorsing 'n belangrike strategie, 'Gebare-ruimtes', geïdentifiseer. 'n Gebare-ruimte wat uitgeken kan word op grond van Gebaar-gebaseerde kommunikasie, is 'n stel netwerke wat van die dowe individu af uitbrei om dowe en horende mense in te sluit. Uit 'n analise blyk dit dat dit 'n Gebaar-horende en Gebaar-dowe ruimte behels. In Gebaar-horende netwerke oorheers horende mense. Verhoudinge word in die huis en met die naaste bure aangegaan. In Gebaar-dowe netwerke oorheers dowe mense. Verhoudings is gesellig van aard en word deur ongedwongenheid gekenmerk. Die navorsing het bevind dat die Dowe doofheid as gebrek deur middel van die Gebaarruimte omkeer om 'n veelvlakkige maatskaplike identiteit wat dwarsoor die konteks versprei is, te behels. Grense wat oorgesteek word, varieer ook in konteks en ten opsigte van netwerke. Gebaar-horende netwerke fokus op die horende grens. Beperkinge kon in die openbare arena geïdentifiseer word in gevalle waar hindernisse ten opsigte van kommunikasie en gebrekkige voorsiening van Gebaretaal-tolke weer doofheid as 'n gebrek voorgestel het. Dit was moeilik om die grense van die Gebaar- ~ netwerke te bepaal en dit suggereer die potensiaalom, gefasiliteer deur Gebaretaal, Suid-Afrikaanse tale en die gepaardgaande geskiedkundige verdelings te transendeer. Gebaar-dowe netwerke suggereer ook die addisionele potensiaal om gesproke taal, in gesellige kontekste trans-nasionaal te transendeer. Maar onderlinge verstaanbaarheid van Gebaretaal en die ongedwongenheid, gemeenskaplikheid en algemeenheid wat dit gebied het, het nie 'n bewustheid van geskiedkundige differensiasie en diskriminasie ontken nie, soos 'n geval van opvolging van leierskap, wat as 'n 'sosiale drama' aangebied is, getoon het. Die proses van die 'sosiale drama' toon ook dat konflik, krisisse en 'n diskoers wat Suid-Afrika se geskiedkundige verdelings weerspieël, nie 'n wyer algemeenheid hoef te bedreig nie. | af_ZA |
| dc.format.extent | 237 p. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/53339 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_ZA | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | Stellenbosch University | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Deaf -- Means of communication -- Research -- South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Deafness -- Social aspects -- South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Sociology of disability -- Research -- South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Sign language -- Social aspects -- South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Dissertations -- Sociology and social anthropology | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Theses -- Sociology and social anthropology | en_ZA |
| dc.title | Crossing social boundaries and dispersing social identity : tracing deaf networks from Cape Town | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |
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