Here are some scenes from the documentary called, "Sound and Fury". This documentary was made in 2001. Comment on your thoughts and feeling in regards to what you see. I know that you do not get to see a lot but what you see in these scenes are powerful and will give you an overall idea of what this is about.
This is a very unique situation that left a family divided. Read on.
SOUND AND FURY documents one family's struggle over whether or not to provide two deaf children with cochlear implants, devices that can stimulate hearing. As the Artinians of Long Island, New York debate what is the right choice for the two deaf cousins, Heather, 6, and Peter, 1 1/2, viewers are introduced to one of the most controversial issues affecting the deaf community today. One brother is deaf and the other is hearing. Both brothers have deaf children. Heather is born into a strong deaf family (mom and dad are both Deaf). Peter is a twin, his brother is hearing. Although his father grew up with a Deaf brother and his mother grew up with Deaf parents, they have decided to get Peter a cochlear implant. The family is left confused, angry, and very divided. Heather wants an implant but her parents after looking into it, do not feel it is in the best interest of their family. The grandparents are very involved and the discussion becomes very heated, leaving the families torn apart.
Cochlear implants may provide easier access to the hearing world, but what do the devices mean for a person's sense of identity with deaf culture? Can durable bridges be built between the deaf and hearing worlds?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s80N4o4ctxw&feature=related
This movie is very powerful and at times it is hard to watch. At least for me it is anyways. I struggle with the fact hearing parents want to give their deaf child an implant. Is it the right thing? I understand that they want to make their childs life better by providing them with an opportunity to hear. To me this sounds like someone can't be successful if they aren't hearing.
ReplyDeleteBy giving a child an implant you are taking away a part of who they are. They are no longer a part of the Deaf culture and they may never be fully accepted into the hearing culture. They are stuck in between two cultures. That child basically has two identities.
Also, not many people know that if a child gets an implant that it takes years and years of speech therapy and numerous audiologist hearings. Also, most likely these students will have IEP's which stand for Individual Education Plan. These IEP's are required in the United States under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The childs life will not be easy by any means. I struggle with the fact that hearing parents may want for their children to hear but they may not realize how much their child is going to struggle trying to learn a new language and trying to perfect that language. It is difficult.
I've seen how hard it can be trying for someone to fit into the hearing world and having everybody look at you like you are different. I've seen how someone struggles with two identities and never really feel like they belong with one culture or another. It's hard and no one should have to go through that.
As a child we always do what our parents say because we believe they know what is best. As a child we don't know any better and we rely on our parents to tell us what is right and what is wrong. Parents don't always know what is right though. They try to do the their best and hope that we turn out alright. I guess what i am getting at is that sometimes they don't know what is right. They want to believe for example that giving their child an implant will improve their quality of life and make their child "normal" In the video the mom with twins was devasted when she found out that one of her sons was Deaf. She even came from a Deaf family and yet she was still devasted that her son was deaf. That is just shocking to me. Shouldn't we love our children for who they are? Should it matter that they are hearing or deaf? Do they deserve to be treated differently because they can hear or because they are deaf? Do they deserve any less of our love? I've always been told that we should love people for who they are and not try to change them into someone they aren't. If people can't accept you for who you are then they don't deserve to be in your life. Isn't that the message we should be trying to tell our children regardless if they are hearing or Deaf? To be yourself no matter what?
~John
I think that this would be hard to stay in contact with their identity in Deaf culture. Your surrounded by majority of hearing people at school, work, then all the time at speech therapy, then if you go to friends houses, etc. So the main time you would be in Deaf culture would be at home and that is if parents are Deaf or family members are Deaf. When they grow up and find out more about themselves then they can choose how they identify themselves. I don’t think that bridges can be built until there is more awareness and respect for each other in the Deaf and hearing world. It would take years I think to even as a possibility of building bridges and coming together because they would have to be understanding and be able to trust each other. Then again you have people who are older that have a large amount of pride with their culture that they would not be happy about the idea of an implant or hearing people want the kids to be hearing and like everyone else. Sometimes people do forget to look out for best interest of the child. It is common not only in this case.
ReplyDeleteBrittany
Tiff,
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if it would kill the Deaf culture because sometimes it doesn't work or they choose not to have that as main communication. It would make the Deaf culture population smaller. I agree that at this point in time people think you have to choose a world and stay in it. People are not open to the idea of both yet.
Brittany
I was really surprised with how devastated the one family was when they found out one of their twin boys was in fact deaf. They (Chris and Mari) are hearing, however they both come from a deaf family and know American Sign Language. So, I was shocked by how soon they considered getting their son a Cochlear Implant. The implant is not a cure for deafness, and their child will always be deaf. But, giving him an implant takes away his identity. Will he consider himself hearing or deaf? Will he be active in the hearing community or Deaf community? The mother, Mari, made it seem like her son wouldn't be successful if he didn't have an implant. Which is frustrating, because her parents are deaf and use American Sign Language to communicate.
ReplyDeleteHeather's story also shocked me. She has grown up in an all Deaf household- both parents and her siblings are also Deaf- and she has mentioned the idea of wanting a Cochlear Implant. If she receives an implant, it could cause her to lose her identity. She comes from a proud all Deaf family where American Sign Language is their primary language. Heather wants to be able to hear music and birds, however she probably is not aware of the process that follows the surgery. Getting an implant is the easy part. The hard work comes after, where Heather would be involved in speech therapy, home speech, language lessons, and others. It is the parents duty to decide what is best for their child.
Sarah Swanson
I believe the the cochlear implant decision is one that will never really ever be unanimous. People have so many different views on what it is, what it can do for a child or adult, and what identity comes with the cochlear implant if there is one at all. I can see both points of view that are talked about in this documentary. When the hearing mother wants to get a cochlear implant for her deaf son she makes the point to her father that he spent his childhood alone and without friends. But there are many more options now that weren't there in his time so I can see where she should really let her son stay deaf, the way he was born. I get frustrated with this argument since it can go both ways. there are positives and negatives to both sides but when it comes to identifying who a person is based on their hearing ability (which is really important in the Deaf culture) those with cochlear implants really cant.
ReplyDeleteI have been really touched by this movie. It is so real and gives me a good insight into the real lives of parents with such a tough decision. I think getting the perspective of Deaf parents and hearing parents on the decision to give cochlear implants or not makes a difference in my opinion. I better understand the reasons parents don’t want to give their children cochlear implants in order to keep them in the Deaf culture. I can see the different opinions of the implant and how that can affect how people are perceived in Deaf culture. My concern about Deaf people having a not as inviting view of those with cochlear implants is that if they got it as a young child it was not their decision. Should they really have to try that much harder to be accepted when it was not their choice to get the implant? This issue will come up soon since the implant is relatively young. While I think bridges can be built between the two worlds should there even be a need for this? When people take out their implants they have no hearing, just like those without the implant, so it is not like those with the implant do not understand how Deaf people feel every day.
ReplyDeleteSarah-
ReplyDeleteI was also surprised by Heather wanting an implant. I think it was a phase of curiosity. Children often tend to say what they think and she is probably just curious. She did not seem that upset when her parents decided not to give her the implant. I was surprised the parents were looking at a school where no sign language was allowed to be used!
In the movie there were two extremes: the hearing parents decided to get the implant and to not teach their son sign language, and the Deaf parents who decided against the implant and to use only sign for their daughter. While I have not yet to had to face a decision like this, I do believe that each set of parents could have come to a more happy medium. The hearing family decided to completely erase any opportunity their son had to be a part of the Deaf community by not allowing him to learn sign along with his speech and hearing therapy. Also the Deaf family was so scared of losing any aspect of their culture that they refused to let their daughter receive the implant. I do understand that with the Cochlear implant it becomes very hard to identify with earthier hearing or Deaf but I do believe that a conscious decision has to be made to do all that can be done to make the transition easier. If a family decides that a cochlear implant is the right choice for them, I believe that the child should be raised, as much as possible, within both cultures. Yes there will be massive amounts of hearing and speech therapy but the child is still deaf. Many parents justify their decision by saying “they can take off the implant whenever they want.” Yes this is true but if they are never taught sign they will absolutely no language when they take it off so why would they do so.
ReplyDeleteApril Jacobson-
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that this is a very big decision to make for someone so young. She doesn’t know what she wants and is so easily swayed by those she loves. She agrees with grandma that she wants it and then she agrees with mom that she doesn’t want it. I also agree with you that as a parent I would be stuck. She wants to be like all the other kids but you don’t want her to forget who she is. What do you do?
April Jacobson,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post. I would also be torn as a parent as to what would be best for my child. Considering her family is deaf, I'm sure they are concerned whether she wants to be a part of the Deaf community and culture, or communicate mainly with hearing people. It would be tough to be a parent in that situation. However, it was nice that her family talked with other families and did various research about Cochlear Implants.
I watched this movie in high school before I knew as much about Deaf Culture and immediately thought a cochlear implant was the right solution. After having more knowledge about Deaf Culture, I feel that it depends on each situation. I can understand that the hearing parents wanted their son to hear as they would be around their son much more than the rest of the family but because of the deafness in the family signing should still be learned. The Deaf parents on the other hand would have more of a challenge adapting to a hearing child since most of the family is still Deaf and seems as if the whole family is always together. Although they don't want to give their daughter an implant, I feel that it should be her choice and given to her once she knows all the information about it; not whether she's 10 of five but whether she understands. I think that to receive a cochlear implant at a younger age would cause that person to miss out on having the chance to appreciate Deaf Culture and see themselves as a hearing person. The later someone receives an implant, the less likely it is to be successful but I think there would be a deeper connection to the Deaf Community as well. Regardless of when or why someone gets an implant, there will always be the Deaf and hearing worlds and it all depends on that persons willingness to be apart of each world as well as the parents responsibility to help them understand who they are versus who they want to be.
ReplyDeleteApril,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. The decision for a cochlear implant will never be unanimous. People are always going to have their own opinions and their own justifications. The hearing community and the Deaf community have two completely different views about cochlear implants. I don't think there will ever be an agreement between these two communities about whether a cochlear implant should or should not be implanted into deaf people. One thing that sucks is that Deaf people are the minority and the minority almost always has to conform to the majority and in this case the majority is hearing. I'm not saying it is right cuz it is not but it is what tends to happen in American society. Almost every culture that has come to America has had to conform to Americans and learn the American way and the American language.
~John
It is a parents decision to decide what they feel is right for their children. The grandparents in this situation I feel should mind their own business. The deaf parents I believe were right in their decision. To deny their child their culture and give them a cochlear implant which would make it harder for them to be accepted into Deaf culture would leave them lonely, and singled out. The whole argument about if your child were sick wouldn't you want them to be better doesn't set well with me. Deaf people are not disabled they just can't hear why do people want to fix that, they should focus more on solutions to discrimination, awareness instead. From what I have learned Deaf people don't want help they just want to be accepted for who they are and for people to have a better understanding. You wouldn't deny a Hispanic person their heritage just because they move to America why should it be any different for Deaf people.
ReplyDeleteWhy does our society think that if you are different in any way that you are not as successful? I understand that parents simply want what is best for their child, and to give them as many opportunities as possible. However, even with a cochlear implant thee child will always be deaf.
ReplyDeleteBy giving a child an implant parents are actually making their child’s life more challenging, it is taking away a part of who they are. They are no longer a part of the Deaf culture and they will never fully be a part of the hearing community. They will most likely not feel like they have an identity. The child might also feel like there was something wrong with him or her and that being deaf was not good enough. This is especially true is the parents do not provide their child with the ability to learn how to sign. If the child never signs then they will never be able to be apart of the Deaf culture. I think a child should only get an implant if they make the decision themselves and are fully aware of the pros and cons to getting it.
Sam
I can see how this can be a very hard decision for a family. It reminds me of the phrase, “You never miss what you never had.” The Deaf parents don't know what hearing is like so they find it unnecessary to live a happy life. The idea of having a child go through a risky surgery to get something that he/she doesn't need can be very upsetting. On the other hand, the family that can hear knows what it is like to hear and wants their child to be able to experience the world the way they did. What the hearing family doesn't understand is that life can be very peaceful when you're not interrupted by the noisy world. One family isn't more right than the other no matter what decision they make, but there will be obsticals that the child will have to deal with his/her whole life no matter what the family chooses.
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ReplyDelete. Thank you!!!
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