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3 oeuvres 162 utilisateurs 4 critiques

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Nora Ellen Groce is associate professor, Global Health Division, Yale School of Public Health. (Bowker Author Biography)

Œuvres de Nora Ellen Groce

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There were communities in Martha's Vineyard, starting sometime in the 1600s, that had a large number of deaf individuals due to what we now know was a recessive hereditary trait. But instead of being isolated or uneducated, they were fully integrated into their communities, where everyone had at least a basic knowledge of an indigenous sign language that pre-dates American Sign Language. With exacting historical research, bringing together some written material but also the recollections of hearing folks who remembered the deaf islanders (the last one died in the 1950s, and Groce began interviews in 1979), Groce outlines the history of the Vineyard, the genealogies of the family and the potential origin of the hereditary recessive gene that caused this particular deafness, and the way in which everyone speaking sign language allowed the deaf members of society full access and integration in a way that's seldom seen in the U.S.

I've long had an interested in the Deaf community and American Sign Language, so the subject of this book was of interest to me. I recognized some of Groce's notes on history - notably, Alexander Graham Bell's interest in oral education and wanting to eliminate the "deaf race" by forcing deaf people to marry hearing (she was... very carefully neutral about the same, I thought), deaf education in the U.S., and that the indigenous sign language is no more now merged with American Sign Language. I was disappointed with the academic tone, as I was expecting something a little more narrative nonfiction with more anecdotes about life on the island rather than the more dry facts and figures. Only one chapter really talked about "what it was like", through the memories of the anonymous folks interviewed. Still, I was interested in reading her take on both genealogy and genetics, guessing where the trait may have originated. I couldn't help but think that an update with the improved understanding of genetic testing and the human genome since 1985 could help determine if she was right about some of her conclusions of where the recessive trait originated.
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Signalé
bell7 | 3 autres critiques | Jun 18, 2022 |
This short, to-the-point book explores what it can of a now-gone phenomenon. On Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, there was a higher proportion of Deaf people than in the mainland population. It is suspected that the deafness was a recessive trait amplified by intermarriage among the English colonists that first settled in the area. (The Indigenous population of the island did not exhibit deafness, so it was not environmentally related.) What is particularly interesting is how the community treated Deaf individuals exactly the same way as hearing individuals. As the title says, “everyone spoke sign language” and it was so ingrained in the population that people the author interviewed had actually forgotten who was deaf and who wasn’t.

Groce manages to capture a snapshot of this time at exactly the right moment. The book was published in the 1980s, and the last Deaf person on the island died in the early 1950s, so she was interviewing people who remembered the Deaf people, not the Deaf people themselves. These residents were elderly and would not have been around much longer. Their memories and the research Groce managed to pull together is an interesting study and an excellent example of how society can erase barriers and allow people to fully participate in society.
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Signalé
rabbitprincess | 3 autres critiques | Feb 17, 2020 |
In her book Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language: Hereditary Deafness on Martha’s Vineyard, Nora Ellen Groce uses meticulous research from her explorations of the enigmatic Martha’s Vineyard to question the very foundation of cultural normativity. For those who don’t know, before the island off the coast of Massachusetts became a vacation hotspot for former US presidents, actors and comedians, it was home to the largest population of deaf people per capita in American history. And, as the title states, everyone there spoke sign language, making the island one of the only places in documented history where deaf people lived lives fully integrated in their community.

This amalgamation of deaf and hearing populations was virtually unheard of in the rest of North America, a custom that continues to plague us even now. But during the 15th century, the deaf were oft relegated to manual labour jobs at best, begging or asylums due to the entrenched belief that the inability to listen and speak meant that the deaf were incapable of thought. In her research, Groce realized that the state of being deaf was so incredibly normal to islanders, that very little evidence of the daily lives of the deaf was recorded. Her concern was that the oral history required to substantiate the sketchy written accounts would soon be lost as the last of the pioneer’s descendants were dying. Her timing was impeccable, her collection chronicles the final testimonies of many of her informants.

Published in 1985 by Harvard University Press, this short book (164 pages including appendixes, notes and bibliography) is a surprisingly comprehensive investigation of Martha’s Vineyard from the mid 15th century through to the present. Groce is well aware of the limitations of historical, and perhaps archeological research, and writes according to the strengths of both the written documentation and oral accounts. Her research is well documented and credible for those interested in a detailed and factual thesis. Despite her scholarly research style however, Groce’s language remains accessible and for those more interested in the story, she separates the finer minutiae of sources and research process into footnotes, leaving the reader to follow the lives of the islanders uninterrupted.

The only complaint I have about the book is that Groce’s writing lacks the flair of modern non-fiction. She is careful not to be too personal in order to protect the present-day descendant’s privacy and, as a historian, she avoids embellishment and dramatization at all costs. I agree with both of these concessions; however, she could have gone into more detail on some of the personal anecdotes without compromising the researcher-subject confidentiality. This would have made the read more engaging and accessible to a larger group. Groce is not a storyteller who paints her scenes with eloquent poetry, but rather a historian who draws you into the archives, reverently allowing you to handle the delicate vestiges of a people.

I would rate Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language a 4/5 stars – For those seeking an adeptly woven story to curl up with, continue your search elsewhere; you might find Groce’s exacting research style a little too dry. Conversely, for those who enjoy books that challenge their current perspective on social dynamics and who appreciate the historical context of our human geography, the community on Martha’s Vineyard models our capacity as a human species. Groce’s thesis is rich and engaging and there is nothing that could be subtracted to make her themes clearer. With its unique assessment on culture, difference and normalcy this book will make you think twice about how you view not just deaf people, but any ‘other’ group. And certainly, for anyone already interested in Deaf Literature and North American Deaf culture and history, is an essential addition to your library. Without a doubt, her manuscript will alter your perspective, whether you are an avid scholar or a historical hobbyist.
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Signalé
BookNeurd | 3 autres critiques | Nov 22, 2017 |
The title of this book was misleading. I say that because it made me think that it was going to be a book full of anecdotal stories about deaf people on Martha's Vineyard and what life was like for them back in the "old days".

Instead, it was a very dry, scientific book full of data with just a few tiny anecdotal stories to illustrate the scientific points being discussed. It was really rather boring for me. It should have been given a more scientific name rather than one that makes you think you're going to read a bunch of personal stories.

Someone who has an interest in genetics and deafness may find this book interesting, though.
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Signalé
BohemianCyborg | 3 autres critiques | Mar 31, 2013 |

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Œuvres
3
Membres
162
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#130,374
Évaluation
½ 3.6
Critiques
4
ISBN
6
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