vcc.ca
ASLD 1220: Deafhood: Journey of the Deaf
Effective date
September 2026
Department
Sign Language Studies
School
Arts and Sciences
Description
This course builds on ASLD 1120 Introduction to Deaf Culture and Community. Students will go deeper into the richness of the local, regional and global Deaf community. The course focuses on reframing the historical, cultural, and linguistic reality of Deaf people in the world. Students will be able to identify and counter society’s deficit perspective. Key elements of signed languages, diversity, identities, Deaf and ASL literature, art and sports are explored.
Credits
3.0
Year of study
1st Year Post-secondary
Prerequisites
ASLD 1120.
Corequisites
None
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Describe the reframing of Deafhood in the context of victories.
- Describe the commonalities and differences within the realm of Deafhood.
- Differentiate the audist/pathological/medical and linguistic culture view of Deaf people.
- Identify local, national and international social structures within the Deaf community, including Deaf organizations and their mandates in promoting advocacy, sports, art and culture.
- Recognize the significance of the use of signed languages among the Deaf population.
- Identify the key structural differences between visual-gestural languages and spoken-auditory languages.
- Analyze key elements of ASL and Deaf literature, films, theatre, sports and arts as resistance and cultural identity.
- Examine the diverse and intersecting personal and group identities within the Deaf community.
Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition (PLAR)
None
Hours
Lecture, Online, Seminar, Tutorial: 45
Total Hours: 45
Total Hours: 45
Instructional Strategies
Class activities focus primarily on discussion of issues arising from books and articles, but also include
viewing videos, group discussions and preparation sessions.
viewing videos, group discussions and preparation sessions.
Grading System
Letter Grade (A-F)
Passing grade
B- (68%)
Evaluation Plan
|
Type |
Percentage |
Assessment activity |
|
Assignments |
40% |
2 assignments (20% each): Literary Analysis, Deaf changemaker profile |
|
Quizzes/Tests |
30% |
10% each quiz |
|
Project |
30% |
Deaf Community Project (interview, presentation, summary of peer presentations) |
Course topics
- The Deaf community as a linguistic and cultural minority Shared values, norms, traditions Community goals and advocacy Creative arts and literature
- Perspectives on being Deaf Deafhood as cultural identity Pathways, shared and individual journeys to Deafhood Medicalized/pathological perspectives – Deafhood as disability
- Social structures within the Deaf community in Canada Informal group, family, social connections and activities Formal organizations (e.g., sport, advocacy, education) Local, regional, national and international structures and associations
- Diversity within the Deaf community Intersectional identities (e.g., race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identities) Identities within Deafhood (Hard of hearing; Deafblind, late-deafened) Other social factors (family, class, education, employment)
- Visual-gestural language Principles of visual-gestural languages (contrasted with spoken-auditory languages) Overview of grammar, syntactical structures, pragmatic norms and literary forms of visual-gestural languages ASL, LSQ and ISL use in Canada
- Identify key elements of ASL and Deaf literature, arts as resistance and cultural identity. DeVia art Deaf Literature ASL Literature Films and Theatre Sports
Learning resources
Understanding Deaf Culture: Searching for Deafhood by Paddy Ladd (2003)
Notes:
- Course contents and descriptions, offerings and schedules are subject to change without notice.
- Students are required to follow all College policies including ones that govern their educational experience at VCC. Policies are available on the VCC website at:
https://www.vcc.ca/about/governance--policies/policies/. - To find out if there are existing transfer agreements for this course, visit the BC Transfer Guide at https://www.bctransferguide.ca.