The value systems of deaf and hearing adolescents

Abstract

This article uses data concerning the popularity of value items among deaf and hearing adolescents to consider the extent of marginalization of d/Deaf people. The popularity of values in a sample of deaf adolescents and in a large sample of hearing adolescents is investigated using logistic regression and multilevel modelling. In this way it is possible to show where the value systems of deaf adolescents differ from each other, where they resemble hearing adolescents closely, where they resemble a minority of hearing adolescents and where they are significantly different from the value systems of the hearing adolescents. Marginalization is not so extensive as to cut off the deaf youngsters from widespread tendencies in adolescence and prevent them showing gender differences found among hearing adolescents. At the same time the deaf participants cannot be regarded as absorbed into the adolescent population with any deaf identity diffused. The evidence from this study supports the need to recognize a unique difference in deaf people. However, deaf adolescents cannot avoid dealings with the dominant language. Medical services in liaison with social services offer strategies and resources for dealing with the dominant language. In this way services can represent acknowledgement of the difference between d/Deaf people and hearing people instead of attempts at denial and assimilation.