Surdescence

Identity Formation

Identity formation begins with the familial and community groups into which individuals are born. Through socialization and interaction with members of their groups, individuals internalize the cultural values, norms, and worldviews of the groups. In the process, they also define who they are, develop a sense of membership in their community, and identify their role in the larger world.

Many members of minority groups face challenges in identity formation that members of the dominant society do not face. Expectations to assimilate into mainstream American culture may result in members of minority groups having negative perceptions about their own group and their own identity.

Identity formation for members of minority groups begins with individuals learning about their culture and developing an understanding of what group membership involves. Self-acceptance follows a thorough understanding of one’s culture, in which the individual internalizes the group’s positive features and accepts his or her culture, leading to a well-adjusted identity. This provides the individual with the resources needed to assess negative prejudices of the dominant society without internalizing them.

The process of identity formation for Deaf individuals is often challenged further by the lack of transmission of Deaf culture and American Sign Language (ASL) from parents to children: The majority of deaf children are born to hearing parents who are not familiar with Deaf culture and do not know ASL. This often delays the enculturation process integral to identity formation. Negative attitudes toward Deaf people and being deaf demonstrated by the dominant hearing society are another challenge.

Source: Adapted from Cross, W. E., Jr. (1991). Shades of Black: Diversity in African-American Identity. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.

When Deaf individuals go through the process of internalizing their group’s culture, it is often a conscious choice made later in their lives. The first step, to develop recognition and respect for ASL and Deaf culture, is essential to the formation of a fully realized Deaf identity and participation in the Deaf community. Learning about and engaging in other significant aspects of Deaf culture, such as Deaf traditions, customs, values, and behaviors, also contribute to the development of Deaf identity.

The development of Deaf identity can be described as an evolution through five stages: preencounter, encounter, immersion-emersion, internalization, and internalization-commitment (see Table 1). As deaf individuals progress through these stages, becoming more enculturated in the Deaf experience, they develop an awareness of oppression and find their negative perceptions lessening about Deaf people and the Deaf world. Through this acceptance of the Deaf way of life, they (re)define who they are, and gain new insights into their identity through their Deaf consciousness.

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