“Deaf Stories” In The Discourse Of Researching “Closed” Community Culture

Abstract

The article examines the state and prospects for the development of the Deaf culture in a situation of inclusion and new technologies. It is recognized that the Deaf сulture retains its functions, and the presence of "Deaf stories" from the daily life of the Deaf, as integral sociolinguistic and socio-cultural constructs, demonstrates the presence of mechanisms of meaning formation. There are a lot of "Deaf stories", so typologies according to different criteria can be created. Thus, it becomes possible to see the social behavior of the Deaf in different spheres of life. The article presents the results of a qualitative study -a sociolinguistic analysis of "Deaf stories" carried out on the basis of an original methodology at the Institute of Social Technologies and Rehabilitation (ISTR) of Novosibirsk State Technical University (Russia). ISTR enrolls more than 150 students who are deaf or hard of hearing. More than 80 "Deaf stories" were collected. 26 stories were selected for analysis. The article explains why stereotypes about the Deaf persist and describes the social patterns of interaction between the Deaf and the hearing. The existence of stereotypes with protective properties has been confirmed. Also, stereotypes connected with deviant behavior were discovered. Such behavioral patterns are anchored through "Deaf stories" in the behavior of the young Deaf who positively perceive and reproduce "Deaf stories". The Deaf have a special attitude towards "Deaf stories", which is confirmed by the emerging storytelling practices.