Method in a photographic enquiry of being deaf

Abstract

What follows is based on the hypothesis that aspects of a particular, socially and culturally distinct, visuality[1] are manifest in visual data such as photographs. I will explore this hypothesis with reference to Deaf people, people who use sign language and who are members of the Deaf community, using data from earlier research (Thoutenhoofd, 1996). To this end, I have opted for two parallel texts, a photographic one as well as a written one, cross-referenced by hyperlinks. The photographs form the core, or the 'evidence' of the method outlined in the text. The photographs portray a number of pertinent visual characteristics and strategies found where Deaf people congregate into clearly defined communities, for example Deaf clubs, d/Deaf colleges, and in the pages of magazines aimed at d/Deaf audiences; yet the photographs bear witness to the commonplace, portraying regular Deaf club and Deaf college activities. In the process of discussing the reasons for taking the photographs and having photographs taken, I set out to describe what is meant by a 'Deaf visuality', and to suggest its relevance to research into deafness and being d/Deaf.