TY - JOUR

T1 - Deaf Identity, Social Relationships, and Social Support

T2 - Toward a Microsociological Perspective

AU - Chapman, Madeleine

AU - Dammeyer, Jesper

AU - Jepsen, Kim Sune Karrasch

AU - Liebst, Lasse Suonperä

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - This study is the first to analyze data from a national survey to investigate the significance for deaf identity of the different forms of social and technological support that deaf people rely upon. Data were derived from a survey among 839 deaf people and were analyzed with regard to social identification as deaf, hearing, bicultural, and marginal. Findings showed connections between technology and identity, including the use of a range of technology to support being culturally deaf. Findings also showed that the deaf and hearing groups had strong homophilous social networks, while the bicultural group tended toward more mixed but equally strong social connectivity. The marginal group had a much thinner social connectivity and relied more upon institutional social support, findings that are in line with previous research revealing a sub-group struggling with social participation and well-being. Theoretically, the paper builds bridges between the fields of social identity and microsociology and shows how a microsociological perspective brings attention to the significance of reiterated social relations and practice for constructing social identity.

AB - This study is the first to analyze data from a national survey to investigate the significance for deaf identity of the different forms of social and technological support that deaf people rely upon. Data were derived from a survey among 839 deaf people and were analyzed with regard to social identification as deaf, hearing, bicultural, and marginal. Findings showed connections between technology and identity, including the use of a range of technology to support being culturally deaf. Findings also showed that the deaf and hearing groups had strong homophilous social networks, while the bicultural group tended toward more mixed but equally strong social connectivity. The marginal group had a much thinner social connectivity and relied more upon institutional social support, findings that are in line with previous research revealing a sub-group struggling with social participation and well-being. Theoretically, the paper builds bridges between the fields of social identity and microsociology and shows how a microsociological perspective brings attention to the significance of reiterated social relations and practice for constructing social identity.

U2 - 10.1093/deafed/enad019

DO - 10.1093/deafed/enad019

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 37399051

VL - 29

SP - 81

EP - 90

JO - Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education

JF - Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education

SN - 1081-4159

IS - 1

ER -