Deaf and Hearing Siblings in Conversation

by Marla C. Berkowitz, Judith A. Jonas

This is the first book to consider both deaf and hearing perspectives on the dynamics of adult sibling relationships. Deaf and hearing authors Berkowitz and Jonas conducted interviews with 22 adult siblings, using ASL and spoken English, to access their intimate thoughts. A major feature of the book is its analysis of how isolation impacts deaf-hearing sibling relationships. The book documents the 150 year history of societal attitudes embedded in sibling bonds and identifies how the siblings' lives were affected by the communication choices their parents made. The authors weave information throughout the text to reveal attitudes toward American Sign Language and the various roles deaf and hearing siblings take on as monitors, facilitators, signing-siblings and sibling-interpreters, all of which impact lifelong bonds.

Genres: Nonfiction

212 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book for those working with the deaf. It gives a view of deaf culture and of family dynamics outside of that culture. I was saddened at times and heartened by different family tales. Much of the book is very academic, but there are well told stories to illustrate the authors' points. It does a good job of getting inside the heads of siblings both hearing and deaf, to understand each person's personal struggles. Good explanations of the problems, but no real suggestions on how to overcome family difficulties. I think anyone with deaf family members would profit by hearing the other side of the story as presented here.

I won this in a LibraryThing giveaway and was grateful for the opportunity to read it in exchange for an honest review.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review

I took three years of American Sign Language in high school and able to converse with a a Deaf person. I selected this book out of the Blogging for Books program and thought it was interesting. I enjoyed this book and had never encountered the relationship between deaf and hearing siblings. It was a very interesting topic to read about. I enjoyed the chapters on intensities of sibling closeness, sibling-interpreters, and the structure of the book. This book would be very helpful when explaining the dynamics between Hearing and Deaf siblings.

[Lawrence J · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Deaf and Hearing Siblings in Conversation" is about the impact of a signing and non signing home environment on the bonding between deaf and hearing siblings and between the parents, the deaf child, and the extended family. It goes into readable detail of the 100 years impact of the1880 Milan Conference on the education of deaf children and the deaf child's psychosocial development. I found it informative and easy to read and pray that this book is part of every family home library where a deaf child lives.