In search of Deafhood: the in-between of deaf culture in contemporary

o entre-lugar da cultura surda na contemporaneidade

Abstract

The terms "identity" and "deaf culture" have been widely used in recent years to refer to the experiences of deaf people around the world. This stems from the collective effort of researchers of so-called Deaf Studies to displace deafness from the clinical discourses of disability and abnormality. However, it is believed that it is necessary to rethink the uses of these terms, under the risk of falling into essentialism and binarism that does not transcend individual identification processes. It is increasingly necessary to think about intersectionalized “deaf identities” policies, which also consider aspects such as gender, ethnicity, social class, etc., which also constitute personal and social relationships and determine the ways in which individuals interact between themselves and the world. In this sense, the objective of this study is to understand the in-between of deafhood and deaf culture in contemporary times. Studies by authors such as Paddy Ladd, Harlan Lane, Carlos Skliar, Zigmunt Bauman, Stuart Hall, Djamila Ribeiro and Judith Butler were used as theoretical references. It is concluded that the concept of deafhood, proposed by Paddy Ladd (2011) can represent an advance for a broader understanding of the experiences of being-deaf-in-the-world, without framing in the category of hearing impairment the whole experience of being deaf.