The Human Aggregate

Something we talked about a lot in class a couple of weeks ago is how a person not of the majority, dominant group, has a hard time feeling included and involved.  We focused a lot on personality differences and social presses (such as nonconformist), but this definitely also applies to other differences, including what we stereotypically think of as “diversity” (race, ability, etc.).  Lindsay has been living in a predominantly hearing community all her life.  Where she grew up did not have a strong Deaf community, and since she had grown up her entire life in that city/ town, everyone was accustomed to interacting with her in ways that were helpful to her (not turning around while speaking to her, learning a little bit of sign language, etc.).  Lindsay had of course interacted with Deaf people before, but she and her family did not immerse themselves in it.

However, now that she’s in a completely new environment with people, who are not familiar with her and how to interact with her, I can see her having difficulty to connect and communicate with others.  The accent that affects “deaf speech” can be difficult to understand when one is unfamiliar with it.  At first, Lindsay may struggle, if she is in a residence hall with all hearing students, to find people that she can readily connect with.  I think this is where technology and the Office of Disabilities Services come into play.  She can meet other deaf and hard of hearing students at events on campus, in the ASL student organization, or in the community.  She can also use Facebook to connect with these students, or even hearing students, such as her roommates or floormates, ahead of time to give her that beginning basis before she gets to the University.  By finding the subcommunity of deaf and hard of hearing students, Lindsay will likely feel more comfortable in her environment.  Also, by using technology, Lindsay may be able to lay down the foundations to start a subcommunity on her floor.  It was interesting because in the text, on page 169, it clearly states that feeling a cohesive subcommunity is essential, especially for larger institutions.  Though, overall, the community suffers, it provides more satisfaction for individuals.