city on the hill

participant/observer

I don't want to come across as critical of Gallaudet or of its representation in the folklore of the people I have spoken with. Rather, I am amazed at the consistency with which members of deaf culture refer to this city on the hill, this deaf utopia. I am particularly interested in the representations in two of the narratives to which I have referred. Sue is particularly critical of the way deaf people revere Gallaudet ... and yet she is just as likely to regard the possibility of a closed deaf world as a positive thing. If only there weren't anything lost, she seems to be saying, I too would join this community. Along with developing her skills in ASL, Sue would need to rethink her cochlear implants. Indeed, she would not need such implants if Gallaudet were realized. However, for Sue, there is much to be lost by closing out her hearing (impaired) existence for a life immersed in deaf culture.

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john in context | jenny & sue
deaf:audist | hearing pedagogy | enfi | techno-teaching
city on the hill | "othered" outside
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