Cultural Consumption Patterns Among the Deaf and Hard of Hearing: Inclusion Versus Exclusion

Abstract

This article focuses on the cultural consumption of people with hearing loss. The existence of sign language and other cultural features is central to how this group is conceived of in modern society as a cultural and linguistic or sociolinguistic minority. 'Deaf Culture' is often the only cultural landmark that exists for many deaf and hard of hearing people; a point that can become a factor hindering of social inclusion. At the same time, cultural inclusion should be viewed today as one of the basic principles of social policy, which aims at facilitating the integration of all members of society, while also taking into account the prevailing socio-cultural diversities inherent to each group of people with disabilities. The present study is based on an explorative research strategy that employed an online survey of deaf and hard of hearing Moscow residents. Our main purpose was to obtain the preliminary picture of cultural consumption patterns among informants. Cultural consumption was understood as a combination of three components: practices, preferences and motives. Sustainable combinations of these components build patterns. Our analysis resulted in three key patterns being distinguished: 'cultural inclusion', 'cultural isolation' and 'passive cultural consumption', which were also considered in the context of factor that determined them. Understanding the current patterns of cultural consumption of the deaf and hard of hearing people can facilitate an improved comprehension of 'deaf culture' as a social phenomenon and also assist in assessing how to further the social inclusion of this group of people with disabilities.