Every few months, I get a variation of the same request.
“Hello, Dr. Cawthon! I want to do a thesis on [fill in an aspect of deaf culture or education] and want to ask you questions about the [field as a whole, your research, my ideas, my thesis].”
I wholeheartedly support the exploration of these topics. I truly wish I could meet with every student who wants to learn more about deaf people, yet the limits of time and space won’t allow for that.
But what I can do is share the following recommendations and resources to students and other researchers, as they continue to learn, explore, and write about the deaf experience.
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Choose your topic carefully (and narrow it down). Sometimes a student will tell me they plan to write about deaf culture and educational equality in the United States. Substitute “medicine” for “deaf culture” to get a sense of how vast your endeavor may be, especially about a rigorous field of study. Also try substituting “race” with “deaf” to determine if your research question is culturally sensitive and serving the population you want to study. How you choose your topic — or narrow it down — may depend on several factors, including a few I point out below.
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Understand the diversity of deaf people. Deaf and hard of hearing means a lot of different things — as do words such as ableism and access, which is one reason why I offer my own definitions. This diversity in experience is sometimes underestimated by researchers and writers exploring this field.
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Incorporate the impact of intersectionality. Deaf people are diverse by race, ethnicity, immigration status, economic resources, community resources, and many other factors. Each of these intersectional identities is critical to the understanding of what deaf education is and what equity means.
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Factor in trauma. Deaf people often grow up experiencing high levels of trauma and oppression, particularly in school. How does your thesis address that? If you are collecting data, are you considering trauma as you interview or survey deaf people?
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Be transparent about your motivation. What is it that draws you to this topic? More importantly, are you writing as someone with personal experience and connection to the population, or is this an academic perspective? If only the latter, there are some very important aspects of culture and role that you must consider in order for your project to be ethical.
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Consider the evidence. I frequently see sweeping generalizations in thesis writing that are not backed up by evidence. As you develop your thesis, keep in mind that historical narratives are dominated by hearing people who do not take the deaf experience into account. Be sure to seek out and cite resources that offer a deaf perspective.
The following resources can be useful in learning more about the points I raise in my recommendations.
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National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes. Almost everything they provide in research and technical assistance is written from a deaf perspective, including many videos from young people and from diverse backgrounds. I cannot emphasize enough how much this website and this organization has to offer you. It is not the job of their help desk to provide information for your thesis, but there is a lot of information on their website (and YouTube channel) that you may find directly relevant. I also encourage you to take some of their free online courses, if you need some further background in the field.
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To better inform your work: Research in Deaf Education
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To better understand trauma: Culturally Responsive Adaptations to Trauma Identification and Treatment with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth
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To explore protective factors: Trauma and Resilience Among Deaf Individuals
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To center your research in a deaf perspective: Evidence-based Practices in Deaf Education
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To understand context: Shifting the Dialog, Shifting the Culture: Pathways to Successful Postsecondary Outcomes for Deaf Individuals
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To better understand assumptions about the English language: Assessing English Literacy as a Predictor of Postschool Outcomes in the Lives of Deaf Individuals
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To better understand the points of view of teachers: A National Perspective on Teachers’ Efficacy Beliefs in Deaf Education