Navigating Deaf and Hearing Cultures: An Exploration of Deaf Acculturative Stress

This study sought to explore experiences of acculturative stress among Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) adults. Thirteen ethnically and racially diverse DHH adults, aged 21–52, participated in semi-structured focus groups.Krueger ’s (1994) framework analysis was used to analyze the data. Participants reported pressures from the Hearing community as Hearing, Speaking, and English Pressures; Hearing Cultural Expectations; and Family Marginalization. Pressures from the Deaf community included ASL Pressures; Deaf Cultural Expectations; and Small Community Dynamics. Participants also discussed unique stressors related to their intersecting cultural identities (Intersectionality). The psychosocial impacts of acculturative stress included anger, anxiety, depression, exhaustion, resentment, and trauma. Coping resources were also discussed. Results highlight the saliency of acculturative stress among DHH adults and the need for continued investigations of the construct, particularly as it relates to mental health.
Source: Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education - Category: Audiology Source Type: research