DESCRIPTION
Nathie Marbury provides an educational and
entertaining look at some of the differences in values
and behaviors between Deaf and hearing people.
Marbury's amusing anecdotes include stories of her
hearing daughters' internalizing Deaf culture and
coping in the hearing world. Discusses facial grammar,
body language, conversation etiquette, attentiongetting, and lighting. Presented in American Sign
Language with voice interpretation. DEAF CULTURE
LECTURE SERIES.
INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS
• To illustrate cultural differences of Deaf and
hearing people.
• To discuss the integral visual components of
American Sign Language.
• To promote mutual respect and acceptance of
Deaf and hearing cultures.
BEFORE SHOWING
1. Discuss culture and how its vestiges can be
misunderstood. Give examples of cultural
misunderstandings Americans might encounter when in
foreign countries.
2. Compare experiences of cultural differences
encountered in the Deaf and hearing communities.
DURING SHOWING
1. View the video more than once, with one showing
uninterrupted.
2. Cover the captions or turn off the audio to
practice reading Nathie Marbury's signs.
3. Pause as necessary to emphasize Nathie’s
comments.
4. Note that Nathie's sign placement for grammar on
her eyebrows refers to facial grammar only.
1
AFTER SHOWING
Discussion Items and Questions
1. Give examples of the cultural differences between
Deaf and hearing people:
a. Ways of getting attention
b. Ways of awakening a person
c. Amount of lighting
d. Space for conversations
e. Visual contact
f. Physical contact
g. Kind of information shared
h. Direct or subtle approaches to communication
i. Conversation etiquette
2. Summarize the experiences of Nathie's daughters
growing up in a Deaf culture.
3. Summarize Nathie's research on acquisition of
facial grammar in young deaf children.
4. Distinguish and demonstrate raised and furrowed
eyebrows for yes/no and wh- questions. Compare these
with vocal modulations.
5. Discuss Nathie’s kitchen noises. List other noisy
situations that might draw unwanted attention and how
these might convey misinformation.
6. Discuss appropriate tapping and touching.
Practice number of taps, strength of taps, and the
instances they are used. Create situations and practice.
7. Role-play situations for passing between and
around signers. Create different scenarios and practice
appropriate etiquette.
Applications and Activities
1. View other videotapes on Deaf culture. Compare
hearing and Deaf cultures with regard to the following
aspects:
a. Communication accessibility and technology
b. Services to ensure accessibility, such as
hearing dogs and relay service providers
c. Folklore such as plays-on-signs and number
stories
2
d. Perspectives on deafness as cultural versus
pathological
e. Conversation openers when meeting other
people for the first time, such as comparing
educational experiences
f. Social activities
2. Discuss and compare the use of voice modulation
and facial expressions for deaf and hearing children.
Include:
a. Eye contact and eye movement
b. Speed and proximity of signs
c. Intentional exaggeration
3. Interview people with multicultural backgrounds.
a. Discuss internalizing and “unlearning”
attitudes, behaviors, and mannerisms.
b. Explain choices for self-identity.
4. Interview CODAs (children of Deaf adults).
Compare the cultural experiences and conflicts they
encounter living in two worlds.
5. Debate whether CODAs make better interpreters
and advocates for the deaf community.
6. Invite a panel of Deaf adults with hearing children
to share their experiences of living with two cultures.
7. Discuss lighting problems, such as window
reflection, sun glare, and others, which hinder
communication.
8. Discuss "visual noise" such as backgrounds which
hinder clear communication. Include things like
bookcases and visual clutter. Include distractions
caused by clothing, jewelry, mannerisms, and long
fingernails.
SUMMARY
Nathie Marbury discusses and relates anecdotes
which demonstrate cultural differences between Deaf
and hearing people. She emphasizes the importance of
mutual respect, acceptance, and recognition of each
culture.
Deaf people depend on facial grammar and body
language. Eyebrows represent vocal modulations to
3
demonstrate various emotions. Furrowed eyebrows
signify wh- questions while raised eyebrows represent
yes/no questions.
Recognizing and understanding facial
grammatical cues happens in stages. Nathie shares an
experience in which an 18-month-old deaf girl
misunderstood furrowed eyebrows for anger, while her
three-year-old brother understood and responded
appropriately. Her research shows that some deaf
mothers use intentional exaggeration of facial
expressions with their babies.
Deaf people face each other and maintain eye
contact when conversing. Nathie recalls several
instances of her hearing daughters' internalization of
this principle. Similarly, it was interesting for Nathie to
note that it is normal for hearing people to talk to each
other from one room to another even with walls
between them.
Nathie recalls another anecdote in which her
daughter was uncomfortable in a dimly lit room until
the lights were turned up and she could "hear better" in
conversation with hearing people! Her daughters have
also had to learn to listen without looking directly at the
face.
During conversations, deaf people maintain more
visual space than hearing people. When walking, they
warn each other of obstacles. They are often more
direct and do not mince words. If one needs to
interrupt two Deaf people conversing in a hallway,
walk through and don’t duck!
When negotiating a path through a crowded area,
tap the right shoulder or gently touch the ribs and
proceed. When entering a room in which a deaf person
is alone and immersed in an activity, do not tap from
behind. Instead, make visual contact.
In college, Nathie's daughters also had some
difficulty adjusting to the noisy environment, finding
solace in the library, an environment similar to their
home.
4
Another situation reported by both of Nathie's
daughters occurred when they had hearing friends
spend the night. The normal noise of food preparation
made by a deaf person was mistakenly interpreted by a
hearing person as an expression of anger.
Deaf people tend to share much information with
each other. For instance, they inform each other of
things such as going to the bathroom. Leaving a room
without telling the destination would be considered
rude.
Deaf people hug. They embrace with full body
hugs and are amused by hearing people's "A-frame"
hugs. They also take a long time in saying goodbye.
Nathie tells of finally leaving a friend's home at 6 a.m.
It's a challenge to watch hearing people using no
facial expressions or mouth movements. Some may
find Deaf people's use of facial expressions gross and
exaggerated, but this conveys specific information.
When a hearing person enters a conversation with
two deaf people, sometimes the language used is
adapted to include the hearing person in the
conversation. It is very rude when a hearing person
abruptly acknowledges an outside interference without
warning a deaf person that an interruption is coming.
Nathie shares ideas for activities to help sign
language students increase sensitivity to touch.
Deaf culture and hearing culture may be different,
but both are equally worthy of respect. Mutual
acceptance for both cultures is of paramount
importance.
5