Past Event

“New Unique Medium… New Unique Meanings”

Ellen Hibbard

ASL Abstract – My talk will provide some of the main highlights from my thesis on what vlogging means for Deaf culture and communication. Vlogs are video blogs that Deaf people use to share signed content online. The word Deaf is used to denote Deaf individuals who identify as members of Deaf culture and who are deaf. Vlogging is a new and unique medium for Deaf people that provides unprecedented opportunities for the evolution of Deaf culture. For example, typically Deaf culture is an ‘oral’ or a face-to-face culture occurring between individuals in the same room, groups or lectures. This culture typically uses synchronous communication that includes real-time feedback and two-way interaction. Vlogs are asynchronous communication, which means there is no real-time feedback, and information is transmitted in one direction, from the vlogger to the audience; feedback is limited to comments provided at some time after the vlog is posted online. This means that communication can take longer and be less fluid but also that it can be stored for others to appreciate who are not present at the time when the vlog was created; sign language styles, topics, practices and conventions can be stored and propagated over time and place. A second important element is that there is no written standard format for sign language as there is for spoken language (e.g., English print). Having a means to store and convey signed content has significant implications for the evolution of signed languages and Deaf culture. One could draw the analogy to the impact of the printing press on spoken languages and their related cultures. Today, written language literacy is not only common place and a foundation of many cultures but expected to develop from a very young age (this expectation would not have been true at the time when the printing press was introduced). There are many possible questions that arise such as How does vlogging impact Deaf communication and culture, or what are the evolutionary implications? My talk will focus on two main questions, “How are vlogs similar or different from typical Deaf communication structures including ASL literature?” and “What are the attitudes and opinions of Deaf people regarding vlogs?”. Existing data collection and analysis methodologies were modified to answer those questions including signed thematic analysis. Highlights of my research findings and some of the unique aspects of my methodology will be presented in this seminar. In addition, I will also present my experiences with managing a the cross-cultural and crosscommunication nature of doing mixed media thesis dissertation from Deaf centric perspective (half of my chapters are in American Sign Language and the other half in written English text). Consider this from Ong (1982) “To really experience understanding of content, one must experience it in its original language.”

About the Presenter

ASL Bio – Ellen Hibbard was born deaf to hearing family in upstate NY and identifies as culturally Deaf. Hibbard participated in afterschool activities at St Mary’s School for the Deaf in Buffalo. Ellen primarily mainstreamed in public schools. She graduated from RIT for biotechnology in 1991. From there she went on to study neuroscience in Michigan University for few years, then went to do genetic research in Connecticut. Hibbard’s research career led her to University of Rochester where she completed her masters before teaching at Scranton State School for the Deaf in Pennsylvania. It was there that Hibbard considered seeking opportunities to do Deaf centric research to support and foster understanding of Deaf culture and communication, including develops resources in this area. That resulted in Ellen going to Ryerson University for Communication and Culture with minor in Technology. Hibbard’s personal interests ranges from collecting frogs, reading sci-fiction, being a geek, enjoy discourse on communication & culture. In addition Ellen has a passion for developing resources for Queer ASL to support the GLBT community and is involved with Ontario Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf. Hibbard mentors families with young Deaf children.

(Scent Free Zone – Help us keep the air we share healthy and fragrance-free)