Deaf Studies Thesis

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Before coming to Cal State Northridge (CSUN), I had absolutely no idea what Deaf Studies was or that it even existed, probably like most people. I was aware that sign language existed but that's as far as my familiarity of this world reached. Right around the time that I was heading into my first semester in college at CSUN, a television show called, "Switched At Birth" had premiered that revolved around two teenage girls who were accidentally switched at birth and interestingly enough, one of them lost her hearing at an early age causing her and her family to learn American Sign Language (ASL) and become acquainted with the Deaf community. The show quickly sparked my interest about this unknown world and opened me up to this phenomenal language…show more content…
Not many institutions offer Deaf studies programs, which makes them hard to come by. As far as I have learned, despites its uncommonness, it is certainly an fantastic major. The goal of the field of Deaf Studies is, in simplest terms, to raise awareness and teach people who want to work with Deaf people all about the language, community and culture regarding that group. It is meant to provide you with all the knowledge regarding these Deaf individuals that you will need and can take with you into these careers. Through this degree you not only learn a new language but you explore social needs and learn to work with people of all walks of life. Deaf Studies allows you to broaden and enrich your understanding of fundamental aspects of life such as language, culture and…show more content…
On top of that, it helps us gain a better insight and greater appreciation for this culture, the people, and their contributions to our society. Although it is titled Deaf Studies, the major, like many others, just wishes to pursue support equal opportunities and excellence in education for all people. When students immerse themselves in this world, they become better equipped to work with this population. Even just minimal exposure to classes makes a difference. I have taken a few classes in my time here and I have learned an immense amount of information. When a parent has a Deaf child, their usual response is to want to "fix" their hearing before even considering communication through ASL. Before I took any Deaf Studies classes I probably would have thought the same, until I learned that when individuals acquire a language foundation as soon as possible, it is vital in allowing cognitive structures to develop and mature. Through ASL, they can expand skills that will support the achievement of a smoother transition into learning written English. When you get exposed to these kinds of facts, you start having a more open mindset about deafness. Most people grow up with the pathological view of deafness that society teaches us, not letting us know and learn about the

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