Hearing (person)

Hearing (person)

The term hearing or "hearing person", from the perspective of mainstream English-language culture, refers to someone whose sense of hearing is at the medical norm. From this point of view, someone who is not fully hearing has a hearing impairment or is said to be hard of hearing or deaf. The continuum of hearing ability tends to be broken down into fine gradations. Moving down the scale and further away from normal, people are classed as hearing, then slightly hard of hearing, moderately hard of hearing, severely hard of hearing, and finally deaf (severely deaf or profoundly deaf for the worst cases).

However, when examined in the context of Deaf culture, the term “hearing” often does not hold the same meaning as when one thinks simply of a person's ability to hear sounds. In deaf culture, “hearing”, being the opposite of “deaf” (which is used inclusively — without the many gradations common to mainstream culture), is often used as a way of differentiating those who do not view the deaf community as a language minority, do not embrace deaf values, history, language, mores, and sense of personal dignity as the deaf do themselves. Among language minorities in the United States – for example, groups such as Mexicans, Koreans, Italians, Chinese, or deaf users of sign language – the minority language group itself has a “we” or “insider” view of their cultural group as well as a “they” or “outsider” view of those who do not share the values of the group. So, in addition to using “hearing” to identify a person who can detect sounds, deaf culture uses this term as a "we and they" distinction to show a difference in attitude between people who embrace the view of deaf people who use sign language as a language minority, and those who view deafness strictly from its pathological context.

This being the case, a single person could be described as hearing by one person and deaf by another because the first person was thinking simply about the subjects sensitivity to sound whereas the other person was thinking, partially about the persons ability to rely on residual hearing, but also about their personal views, their identity, or perhaps their ignorance of cultural norms.

ee also

* Child of Deaf Adult


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Hearing — may refer to: * Hearing (sense), the sense by which sound is perceived * Hearing (person), a person who has hearing within normal parameters * Hearing (law), a legal proceeding before a court or other decision making body or officeree also*Hear …   Wikipedia

  • Hearing impairment — See also: Deaf culture for the social movement.. Deaf and/or hard of hearing Classification and external resources The International Symbol for Deafness …   Wikipedia

  • Hearing and Service Dogs of Minnesota — Infobox Union name= Hearing and Service Dogs of Minnesota full name= Hearing and Service Dogs of Minnesota founded= 1987 country= United States office= Minneapolis, MN people= website= [http://hsdm.org/home/index.asp/ www.hsdm.org] affiliation=… …   Wikipedia

  • Hearing Voices Movement — is a philosophical trend in how people who hear voices are viewed. It was begun by Marius Romme, a professor of Social psychiatry at the University of Limburg in Maastricht, the Netherlands and Sandra Escher, a science journalist, who began this… …   Wikipedia

  • Hearing Dogs for Deaf People — is a British charitable organisation founded in 1982. The Charity s patron is HRH The Princess RoyalHearing Dogs for Deaf People (also known as Hearing Dogs for the Deaf or simply Hearing Dogs) is a United Kingdom based charity formally… …   Wikipedia

  • hearing — hear·ing n 1: a proceeding of relative formality at which evidence and arguments may be presented on the matter at issue to be decided by a person or body having decision making authority compare trial ◇ The purpose of a hearing is to provide the …   Law dictionary

  • Hearing conservation program — Hearing conservation programs are design to prevent noise induced hearing loss. A written hearing conservation program is required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) “whenever employee noise exposures equal or exceed an 8 …   Wikipedia

  • Hearing protectors — are devices designed to prevent Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL), a type of post lingual hearing impairment.* Earplug A device inserted into the ear canal. * Earmuffs Objects designed to cover a person s ears …   Wikipedia

  • hearing, preliminary — n. An initial hearing in a criminal case in which a magistrate or judge decides whether there is sufficient evidence to justify detaining a person accused of a crime. The Essential Law Dictionary. Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc …   Law dictionary

  • hearing aid — ► NOUN ▪ a small amplifying device worn on the ear by a partially deaf person …   English terms dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”