Life Scripts and Life Stories of Oral Deaf Individuals

Abstract Cultural life scripts have been defined by research as culturally shared expectations and public knowledge of primarily positive life events that occur in sequence in an individual’s prototypical life course. In contrast, life stories are based on personal experiences and life events within one’s own life. They represent autobiographical memories that are part of episodic memory. A mixed methodology was used with two studies. First, the quantitative component investigated whether the life scripts and life stories of deaf individuals who grew up using spoken language in hearing families were similar to the life scripts and life stories of hearing individuals or culturally Deaf individuals. Then, a qualitative narrative analysis captured a more detailed description of how these individuals recalled growing up as an oral deaf person, and later being exposed to sign language and Deaf culture. Both studies highlighted the importance of communication in both positive and negative ways.
Source: Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities - Category: Disability Source Type: research