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Inside Deaf Culture
In this absorbing story of the changing life of a community, the authors of Deaf in America reveal historical events and forces that have shaped the ways that Deaf people define themselves today. Inside Deaf Culture relates Deaf people's search for a voice of their own, and their proud self-discovery and self-description as a flourishing culture. Padden and Humphries show how the nineteenth-century schools for the deaf, with their denigration of sign language and their insistence on oralist teaching, shaped the lives of Deaf people for generations to come. They describe how Deaf culture and art thrived in mid-twentieth century Deaf clubs and Deaf theatre, and profile controversial contemporary technologies. Most triumphant is the story of the survival of the rich and complex language American Sign Language, long misunderstood but finally recently recognized by a hearing world that could not conceive of language in a form other than speech. In a moving conclusion, the authors describe their own very different pathways into the Deaf community, and reveal the confidence and anxiety of the people of this tenuous community as it faces the future. Inside Deaf Culture celebrates the experience of a minority culture--its common past, present debates, and promise for the future. From these pages emerge clear and bold voices, speaking out from inside this once silenced community.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
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548 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
July 18, 2018
This book, while not terribly long, took me quite some time to read. I wanted to not only gain a stronger understanding of Deaf culture in a historical perspective, I also just truly wanted to understand Deaf Culture as a whole. I identify as both hard-of-hearing and hearing due to my ability to speak eloquent English - in general, most individuals are surprised that I wear hearing aids in both ears because I do not give an "obvious" indication of a disability otherwise.
That being said, my curiosity of Deaf culture stemmed from both the blocked efforts of understanding what deafness is as a child and my current work in a public library with interacting with a wide range of individuals, including deaf individuals. I began taking ASL classes in 2017 as an effort to start somewhere - in those classes, the teachers often spoke about Deaf culture, whether they were simply personal experiences or an actual historical note. so, there is the development of recognizing that Deaf culture does exist as its own entity, but I really didn't understand it. Could I, a hearing person by a technicality, understand the entire realm of Deaf culture?
This book is heavy of the historical note, but surprisingly, the identification of Deaf culture did not even start to form until the 1970s. The book largely focuses on deaf people's world prior to the identification - deaf schools, signing on film, science and eugenics, deaf theater and poetry, and the naming of American Sign Language. While it will not exactly explain what Deaf culture is in these current times, it will review who, what, how, and when Deaf culture formed over time. It is a little dry and can drag on some thoughts at time, so if you find yourself a little lost with deaf poetry, look up some videos of presentations to respark the interest and understanding. Since signing is so visual, it can be hard to understand the notion of the performance without seeing the performance. You can rave about reading Phantom of the Opera and what a great read it was, but you cannot provide the same thoughts for the play if you have never witnessed it.
That being said, my curiosity of Deaf culture stemmed from both the blocked efforts of understanding what deafness is as a child and my current work in a public library with interacting with a wide range of individuals, including deaf individuals. I began taking ASL classes in 2017 as an effort to start somewhere - in those classes, the teachers often spoke about Deaf culture, whether they were simply personal experiences or an actual historical note. so, there is the development of recognizing that Deaf culture does exist as its own entity, but I really didn't understand it. Could I, a hearing person by a technicality, understand the entire realm of Deaf culture?
This book is heavy of the historical note, but surprisingly, the identification of Deaf culture did not even start to form until the 1970s. The book largely focuses on deaf people's world prior to the identification - deaf schools, signing on film, science and eugenics, deaf theater and poetry, and the naming of American Sign Language. While it will not exactly explain what Deaf culture is in these current times, it will review who, what, how, and when Deaf culture formed over time. It is a little dry and can drag on some thoughts at time, so if you find yourself a little lost with deaf poetry, look up some videos of presentations to respark the interest and understanding. Since signing is so visual, it can be hard to understand the notion of the performance without seeing the performance. You can rave about reading Phantom of the Opera and what a great read it was, but you cannot provide the same thoughts for the play if you have never witnessed it.
April 14, 2019
As friends know, here at the age of 50 I've started learning American Sign Language (ASL) for the first time, and am doing a deep dive into the politics and culture of the Deaf community with a capital "D," as a way of compensating for my ever-decreasing hearing and hopefully opening a new avenue for my shrinking social life. (See my review of A Deaf Adult Speaks Out for a long explanation of what exactly "Deaf culture" is, and why it's so important to learn about before getting involved with the community.) This 2005 book is by the same authors as 1989's Deaf in America: Voices From a Culture, now considered a must-read classic because of it being the very first book in history to examine the concept of a modern "culture" of the deaf, as if this community was its own ethnic group, with its own norms and traditions and history. That book mostly examined the dawning "Deaf Pride revolution" that came about from the foundational events of the late 1980s (that is, 1988's Gallaudet University student protests, 1989's Supreme Court decision to acknowledge ASL as a legitimate language with legal rights, and 1990's Americans With Disabilities Act); so this book from 15 years later basically examines how the revolution has been going, and also cherrypicks from the most interesting parts of history to show that a "culture" among the Deaf was going on long before the events of the late 1980s.
This is easily the most interesting part of this book, in which Padden and Humphries devote each chapter to a specific topic in Deaf community history, providing engaging yet academically rigorous looks at the founding of the first Deaf schools in the 1800s, and how they were closely tied to the Christian-based liberal reforms of the Victorian Age; the astounding silent films the National Association for the Deaf produced in the 1910s, just a few years after the invention of movie cameras; the history of amateur Deaf artists creating their own plays and poetry for their community's engagement, long before movie theatres and TV sets had closed captioning; and most interesting of all, the rise and fall of Deaf social clubs, which like the Elks and the Shriners used to dot the American landscape during the Mid-Century Modernist era of the 1930s through '70s, and were especially active in factory towns that had hired the Deaf by the thousands during World War Two. A short and fast book but packed with perceptive insights and fascinating anecdotes, this is a great choice for those only dabbling in the history of the Deaf community, and of course required reading for those doing a deep dive into the subject like me.
This is easily the most interesting part of this book, in which Padden and Humphries devote each chapter to a specific topic in Deaf community history, providing engaging yet academically rigorous looks at the founding of the first Deaf schools in the 1800s, and how they were closely tied to the Christian-based liberal reforms of the Victorian Age; the astounding silent films the National Association for the Deaf produced in the 1910s, just a few years after the invention of movie cameras; the history of amateur Deaf artists creating their own plays and poetry for their community's engagement, long before movie theatres and TV sets had closed captioning; and most interesting of all, the rise and fall of Deaf social clubs, which like the Elks and the Shriners used to dot the American landscape during the Mid-Century Modernist era of the 1930s through '70s, and were especially active in factory towns that had hired the Deaf by the thousands during World War Two. A short and fast book but packed with perceptive insights and fascinating anecdotes, this is a great choice for those only dabbling in the history of the Deaf community, and of course required reading for those doing a deep dive into the subject like me.
October 4, 2019
3.5 stars, rounded up. There is so much good information in this book, from the origin of deaf schools and ASL to examining Deaf culture. It hits on so many great discussions, particularly about the validity of ASL as a language and the importance and worthiness of Deaf communities. The only reason this isn't 5 stars is because the writing felt disjointed at times. There were tidbits repeated almost word-for-word throughout the book, and sometimes the topic of the chapter would switch abruptly with no real transition. Still, if you are interested in Deaf culture and history, this book is a worthy read.
April 29, 2025
lots of information, but i wish there was an updated version. some things have changed or advanced since it was written. would be interesting to see the new perspectives with some of the things discussed in the book. you will learn a lot of Deaf culture and history from this book!
March 10, 2024
way to many tangents and repetition of things already mentioned
November 14, 2024
I learned so much about the Deaf community, their beliefs and their history. This book helped me develop such an appreciation for this community.
September 18, 2022
A great intro to Deaf history and culture. The book does a good job of selectively telling the stories of select moments in history that influenced the development of a cultural identity, while acknowledging the diversity of experiences across geographies, times, and identities.
November 1, 2007
As posted in [http://www.amazon.com]:
Padden & Humphries, husband & wife, both wrote a wonderful book that is much needed in terms of how Deaf Culture was or what it looked like in the days of the past. To me, "Inside Deaf Culture" is a follow-up from their previous book, "Deaf in America: Voices from a Culture". The difference is the latter is introductory by explaining different aspects of what Deaf culture is. The former contains selected pieces of Deaf history or rather, incidents and circumstances where the authors explain or pinpoint where some aspects of the Deaf culture originated.
For me, the most interesting parts of this book were the incidents occurring inside the Deaf residential schools. For most of us who are familiar with Deaf history, we know that the American School for the Deaf (Hartford, Connecticut) was the first permanent Deaf school and was established by Thomas H. Gallaudet, Laurent Clerc and Dr. Mason Cogswell. We also know that the Kentucky School for the Deaf was the first state-supported Deaf school. However, for many of us, we don't know what happened in the schools, whether they be good or bad.
Padden & Humphries bring light to some of the Deaf schools' darkest secrets. In addition, they also shed light to segregation between the Black and White Deaf residential schools. They don't stop there. They continue with voice, oralism, employment, theatre, American Sign Language (ASL) and of course, culture.
*Inside Deaf Culture* is an excellent book that is highly recommended for those in the Deaf-related fields. This book is also easy reading for those who are not knowledgeable of the Deaf community.
Padden & Humphries, husband & wife, both wrote a wonderful book that is much needed in terms of how Deaf Culture was or what it looked like in the days of the past. To me, "Inside Deaf Culture" is a follow-up from their previous book, "Deaf in America: Voices from a Culture". The difference is the latter is introductory by explaining different aspects of what Deaf culture is. The former contains selected pieces of Deaf history or rather, incidents and circumstances where the authors explain or pinpoint where some aspects of the Deaf culture originated.
For me, the most interesting parts of this book were the incidents occurring inside the Deaf residential schools. For most of us who are familiar with Deaf history, we know that the American School for the Deaf (Hartford, Connecticut) was the first permanent Deaf school and was established by Thomas H. Gallaudet, Laurent Clerc and Dr. Mason Cogswell. We also know that the Kentucky School for the Deaf was the first state-supported Deaf school. However, for many of us, we don't know what happened in the schools, whether they be good or bad.
Padden & Humphries bring light to some of the Deaf schools' darkest secrets. In addition, they also shed light to segregation between the Black and White Deaf residential schools. They don't stop there. They continue with voice, oralism, employment, theatre, American Sign Language (ASL) and of course, culture.
*Inside Deaf Culture* is an excellent book that is highly recommended for those in the Deaf-related fields. This book is also easy reading for those who are not knowledgeable of the Deaf community.
July 29, 2007
Overall, I enjoyed this book very much. It gives a clear history into Deaf culture, from it's early years as a growing culture in the United States to current issues and debates over what it means to belong to Deaf culture.
The part that interested me the most dealt with education for Deaf people, and how that has evolved. The constant battle between oral method and sign language has been fiercely argued for ages. I learned some things from this book that I had not known before, such as Alexander Grahm Bell's involvement in education, although he was a proponent of oral education and in fact held the opinion that sign language was a detriment to those who used it.
I enjoyed this book, because I do believe that sign language is an extremely important part of Deaf culture. The authors even highlighted the rise of deaf theatre in the early 1900s up to modern advances in technology.
The one complaint I had was the authors (both who are Deaf/HoH) sometimes took an exclusive tone, such as there are certain experiences that deaf and hearing people could never hope to share. While this is true to some extent, I thought that parts of the book would only serve to widen the perceived gap between the two cultures rather than bring mutual understanding.
The part that interested me the most dealt with education for Deaf people, and how that has evolved. The constant battle between oral method and sign language has been fiercely argued for ages. I learned some things from this book that I had not known before, such as Alexander Grahm Bell's involvement in education, although he was a proponent of oral education and in fact held the opinion that sign language was a detriment to those who used it.
I enjoyed this book, because I do believe that sign language is an extremely important part of Deaf culture. The authors even highlighted the rise of deaf theatre in the early 1900s up to modern advances in technology.
The one complaint I had was the authors (both who are Deaf/HoH) sometimes took an exclusive tone, such as there are certain experiences that deaf and hearing people could never hope to share. While this is true to some extent, I thought that parts of the book would only serve to widen the perceived gap between the two cultures rather than bring mutual understanding.
March 16, 2013
Read the review on my blog:
http://thaliasbooks.tumblr.com/post/4...
http://thaliasbooks.tumblr.com/post/4...
July 1, 2017
In the overarching theoretical realm of knowledge (Epistemology), it is probably a reasonable descriptive practice to classify subjects as known, unknown, and unknowable. Then, to further break that classification down into sub-classifications: e.g. “known-known,” “known-unknown,” etc. The subject matter of this book, for me, is in the realm of an "unknown-unknown". My encounter in the world is one of common familiarity. I had no knowledge of a culture that existed for the Deaf.
Prior to reading this book, I viewed deafness as an anomaly. To be clear, this means I did not perceive it so much as a disability, but more like a fact that lives within the realm of other facts about life. Some people are blind, some are deaf, and some are hard of hearing. These views were concomitant in my thinking with other facts viz., some people are black, some are white, some are brown, etc.
What I should have recognized, and the intuition that continues to challenge my thinking heuristically is that all of the so-called facts, as stated above, are no more than labels, classification, and descriptors. In none of these classifications is there an implication of the humanity that lies outside the description. This was and continues to be, a very powerful factor of my interaction with people who are labeled in various ways. No more is this classification technique more readily explained than in the message of this superb book.
From the opening page, there is a strong definition of Deaf Culture viz., “a way of describing the lives of Deaf people…who did not have any distinctive religion, clothing, diet – or even inhabit a particular geographical space they called their own…” (p. 1). Through this definition of culture, Carol Padden and Tom Humphries are able to begin the construction of a historical narrative that focuses on the cultural aspects and experiences of the Deaf.
Of particular interest, is the ability of the authors to use a Foucaultian (Michel Foucault) interpretation of the structures and limits of power and how it is diffused through the subject of the human body. The narrative is rich in experiential history infused with archival evidence to present an intriguing portrait of Deaf Culture. The lesson learned, at least for me, is that Deaf people have a diversity of culture, language, and ways of interpreting the world. Without these tools, and without the investigative study of those tools we could never find out the different modes of being. Deaf Culture presents an intriguing way of exploring the potential for studying both culture and language development from a unique perspective.
Those who are not in Deaf Culture may have a tendency to approach deafness as a disorder that needs to be corrected or repaired. On the other hand, those who make up Deaf Culture, often times, celebrate this uniqueness; neither as a defect nor a disability, but as their unique form of being. These two competing ideas need to look toward the middle ground of where both should be celebrated in the conception of recognition as everyone, regardless of their differences, are human beings.
I really enjoyed reading this book, and hope you will too.
Happy Reading!
December 12, 2017
This is another read for my American Sign Language III class—I’ll admit, I’m a little bummed that I’ve hated everything we’ve read so far this year (especially since I love my teacher, but my teacher loves these books). I’m not really a huge fan of nonfiction to begin with, which I’m sure came into play when I was rating this book, but this is also extremely boring nonfiction. It’s poorly written—not because it doesn’t have great research and all that jazz, but because it fails in keeping the reader interested. Instead, it throws hypothetical questions at you and restates the same thing over and over again, to the point where you want to throw it across the room. Which I almost did—and only didn’t do because this is a classroom copy and I might have had to own up to the damage done.
I almost gave this book two stars—almost. Because it is well written, in a technical sense, and the authors obviously know what they’re talking about. However, these ratings are about my personal enjoyment, and I just couldn’t stomach giving this anything more than what I felt it deserved—which was definitely a single star.
Read the rest on my blog:
http://thaliasbooks.tumblr.com/post/4...
I almost gave this book two stars—almost. Because it is well written, in a technical sense, and the authors obviously know what they’re talking about. However, these ratings are about my personal enjoyment, and I just couldn’t stomach giving this anything more than what I felt it deserved—which was definitely a single star.
Read the rest on my blog:
http://thaliasbooks.tumblr.com/post/4...
February 28, 2022
I had the opportunity to read this book because of my ASL course at university. This book really gave a great insight to deaf culture and history, giving a deeper understanding to lives of deaf people and the importance of signed language not only to American deaf citizens, but deaf citizens across the world. It covers interesting topics as well, such as deaf clubs, deaf media, etc. it’s interesting to learn “little tidbits” alongside large and complicated ideas, to make a very smooth reading experience, essential for a nonfiction book, and especially essential for an academic book.
April 22, 2019
This book dives into some of the grittier parts of Deaf history from two Deaf authors. Their perspectives were refreshing and discussed everything from segregation in deaf schools to Deaf theater. Worth the read to learn more about Deaf culture.
June 11, 2019
This was a look at early Deaf history, but with a title like "Inside Deaf Culture," I expected a more thorough look at the contemporary culture. There was very little of this. Additionally, there did not seem to be enough content to fill the book, with quite a lot restated throughout.
October 27, 2020
Found this a fantastic historical book. Often in 101 classes you are provided with a brief canon of Deaf history and Deaf culture. This book goes back to the beginning and provides context on how we arrived where we are today.
June 23, 2021
It would be interesting to see an updated book on this topic that addresses the impact of increased internet usage along with smart phones and video calling apps such as Facetime, Zoom and Skype. Tech has change a lot since 2005.
June 24, 2017
There is a LOT to learn in this book! It's filled with details about history and culture (and not just deaf culture).
November 9, 2017
A very good book showing the history of Deaf people and their journey to get to where they are today. I would definitely suggest it if you are interested in Deaf culture.
December 30, 2023
Informative about Deaf culture and history. Knowledgeable authors.
March 28, 2024
Its sooooo GOOD!!! Its bittersweet and I would recommend to my student to read this.
July 18, 2024
This is a textbook that I read during college that takes a look at the origins and impacts of American Sign Language, and Deaf culture and identity.
March 16, 2025
ASL 102
Read this book as part of ASL class I am taking. It was good. Lots of history. Glad I read it.
Read this book as part of ASL class I am taking. It was good. Lots of history. Glad I read it.
March 27, 2025
Required reading for school.
April 11, 2024
Teaches a great understanding of deaf culture and how the culture came to be.
May 17, 2017
For anyone who's ever studied Deaf culture, the ideas and opinions expressed by the author are familiar (and perhaps even repetitive). What is unique and refreshing is the historical context given for some of the dominant themes and most famous (or infamous) events of American Deaf Culture, as well as the authors' sharing of their own unique backstories. A must-read for anyone who is unfamiliar with but interested in the D/HOH community, but if you're already immersed in the culture you could abstain from reading.
December 23, 2022
interesting but a lil too technical
November 22, 2014
The book describes a long history of segregating certain types of students at deaf schools based on gender, race or communication status. Such segregations in the past were based on prejudice. These prejudices affected how students were treated, and what they were taught. I am trying to understand the reasoning behind the current segregation of deaf students with cochlear implants from the rest of the student body at some deaf schools.
The authors explain that cochlear implants can fail which might mean that the deaf child’s language acquisition could be delayed. This is a serious developmental problem. Segregating the students with cochlear implants is putting all their eggs in one basket and risking their lifelong ability to communicate. It seems to me that deaf students with cochlear implants should be presented with alternatives just in case their current option doesn’t work for them. I have stated in previous reviews that deaf individuals have the right to choose their mode of communication. Segregation is an obstacle to choice.
I appreciated that the authors of Inside Deaf Culture, Carol Padden and Tom Humphries, don’t believe that there is a single deaf culture. There are multiple deaf cultures and they each have a perspective that contribute to the diversity of deaf communities.
For my complete review see http://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/20...
The authors explain that cochlear implants can fail which might mean that the deaf child’s language acquisition could be delayed. This is a serious developmental problem. Segregating the students with cochlear implants is putting all their eggs in one basket and risking their lifelong ability to communicate. It seems to me that deaf students with cochlear implants should be presented with alternatives just in case their current option doesn’t work for them. I have stated in previous reviews that deaf individuals have the right to choose their mode of communication. Segregation is an obstacle to choice.
I appreciated that the authors of Inside Deaf Culture, Carol Padden and Tom Humphries, don’t believe that there is a single deaf culture. There are multiple deaf cultures and they each have a perspective that contribute to the diversity of deaf communities.
For my complete review see http://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/20...
February 1, 2014
I read this book for class and was somewhat disappointed. The book, which should have been fascinating, was very densely written. It seemed redundant and often odd grammatical choices were made. I read well, but there were many times where I had to read a sentence two or even three times because the structure was so bizarre I wasn't sure what the authors were saying. Still, there was some good information if you want to know more about the history of Deaf Culture.
January 29, 2009
Provides an engaging, accessible overview of Deaf history. I came out of this book with a much richer understanding of the basics (the staunch defense of ASL; what happened at Gallaudet) as well as with information that was entirely new to me (the history of the African-American Deaf community; the origins of Deaf theater). Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews