The Influence of Social Discourses Concerning Deafness on the Interaction between Hearing Mothers and Deaf Infants: A Comparative Case Study

This paper investigates narratives of two hearing mothers of a congenitally deaf child as they develop over time, more specifically from the end of the diagnostic process as outlined by the Universal Neonatal Hearing Screening in Flanders (02/2010) to the active utilization of bilateral cochlear implants (11/2011) and how this is translated into the interaction between mother and child. Studies have shown that information concerning cochlear implantation, often provided in a predominantly medical setting, creates a bias against Deaf culture (Berg et al. 2007; 2005; Hyde & Power 2000). This is clearly attested in these particular cases: the first mother was initially involved in Deaf culture by diverse routes, to then develop a narrative that was more medically oriented; the second mother initially acknowledged the hearing status of her son, to then deny his hearing problems altogether.
References:
Berg, A.L., Ip, S.C., Hurst, M., Herb, A. (2007). Cochlear Implants in Young Children: Informed Consent as a Process and Current Practices. American Journal of Audiology 16: 13-28.
Berg, A.L., Herb, A., Hurst, M. (2005). Cochlear Implants in Children: Ethics, Informed Consent, and Parental Decision-Making. Journal of Clinical Ethics 6(3): 237-248.
Hyde, M., Power, D. (2000). Informed Parental Consent for Cochlear Implantation of Young Deaf Children: Social and Other Considerations in the Use of the 'Bionic Ear'. Australian Journal of Social Issues 35: 117-127.