The role of educational experiences in the development of deaf identity.
In this study, the analytical educational experiences of 25 deaf adults are explored in relation to their identity. The qualitative analysis indicated that the most critical educational experiences for the participants' identity concerned their interactions with hearing or deaf peers and their language of communication with their peers at school. The participants with a hearing identity attended general schools, where they interacted with hearing peers in Greek, whereas the participants with a Deaf identity attended schools for the deaf, where they interacted with deaf peers in Greek Sign Language. The participants with a bicultural identity attended general schools, where they interacted with hearing peers in Greek, but they also had the chance to meet Deaf role models outside school, which played a critical role in the development of their identity.
Nikolaraizi
Magda
M
Department of Special Education, University of Thessaly, Argonaphton and Philellinon, 38221 Volos, Greece. mnikolar@uth.gr
Hadjikakou
Kika
K
D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D060345:Education of Persons with Hearing Disabilities; D004519:Education, Special; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007804:Language Development; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010379:Peer Group; D010553:Personality Development; D019986:Persons with Hearing Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D012933:Social Identification