Establishing identity : narratives of deaf Thai

Abstract

Deaf identity in Thai society is stigmatized. Most Thai people know the meaning of being deaf from the folktales that condemned deafness as a disease to be cured and a person with deafness as dependent. Academic studies relating to the issue of deafness in Thailand are mostly conducted in medical and educational contexts which confirm the assumption that deafness is a problem to be fixed. This assumption is also in the mind of most deaf people, who feel inferior to the hearing world. The new theory of identity and communication presented by E. Eisenberg suggested that a person’s identity does not have to conform to the majority consensus. A person can build his or her identity on the uncertainties in life. It is the matter of how an individual interprets his or her surrounding which is reflected in the story he or she tells. Due to the lack of presenting other aspects of the deaf life in Thai society, this study has a strong determination to empower deaf people in Thailand by conveying the stories of ‘living the deaf life’ to the readers. Thirty-four deaf participants in four regions of Thailand were interviewed in order to answer the three research questions: (1) How is deaf identity constructed in Thai society? (2) How do deaf Thai handle deafness in their interaction with others? (3) How does the process of telling his or her story reveal the narrator’s process of identity construction? The narratives revealed that deaf people in Thailand construct their identity by conforming their ways of life to the biological, spiritual, cultural, economic, societal, and interpersonal surroundings advanced by Eisenberg. They managed their deafness by communicating only with the people who could understand them. Their styles of telling their stories were mostly open and comfortable. The deaf participants know who they are and where they belong in the society. By reading their life stories, readers will find that deaf people are as capable as hearing people. All they need is an opportunity to use their abilities.