Relacije kulturnog identiteta i nekih demografskih obilježja gluhih i nagluhih osoba

Abstract

The aim of this research was to examine the frequency of a particular identity type, as well as the relationships between cultural identification and demographic variables related to the hearing, educational and marital status of deaf and hard of hearing persons. The research sample consisted of 443 hearing-impaired persons of both sexes (274 deaf and 169 hard of hearing), aged between 18 and 87 years, from 17 Croatian cities. For the purpose of collecting demographic data, a questionnaire was constructed. Cultural identity was examined using the DAS (Deaf Acculturation Scale, Maxwell-McCow and Zea, 2011). Although 58% of the respondents were attending oral schools for the deaf and regular elementary and secondary schools, with only 12% of them having deaf parents, 80% of them showed either deaf acculturation (48%) or bicultural identifi cation (32%); 12% were hearing acculturated, while 8% had marginal identity, which is in accordance with previous research results. Statistical analyses showed significant relations between cultural identity and the degree of hearing loss (hard of hearing persons more often than deaf persons were hearing-acculturated, biculturally, or marginally acculturated), the age of hearing loss onset (being significantly lower in deaf acculturated persons than in biculturally acculturated and hearing-acculturated ones), the age at which respondents started learning Croatian Sign Language (deaf acculturated started significantly earlier than biculturally acculturated and hearing acculturated persons); educational level (the highest levels are achieved by hearing and biculturally acculturated persons); the type of elementary school (those from schools for the deaf tend toward deaf or bicultural identity; those from regular schools more frequently have hearing identity; those from oral schools for the deaf more often have marginal identity) and secondary school (those who had attended regular schools more often had a hearing identity, whereas those who attended school for the deaf more often had a deaf identity), marital status (more single persons were found among hearing and marginally acculturated persons), as well as their partner’s hearing status (hearing acculturated persons preferred hearing partners, and deaf acculturated persons preferred deaf ones). The relationship between cultural identity and the respondents’ parents’ hearing status didn’t prove to be significant. The practical implications of the obtained results are being considered.