Deafness and ethnicity: Services, policy and politics

Abstract

This book brings to the surface a neglected area in both generic social policy research and ethnicity orientated studies. In the process of marrying issues of deafness and ethnicity, some long-standing debates assume a new potency: in particular, the complexities around universal and targeted service provision, user and provider relations, and identity politics. These issues arise in varying degrees throughout the book, within a format which begins by introducing the reader to the wider context of ethnicity and services and of deaf politics and policy. These developments are documented in Chapters 2 and 3 respectively, with the latter incorporating a review of the literature on deaf ethnic-minority people. Indeed, the brief character of this section reflects the largely undocumented nature of this important area. Chapters 4 to 8 form the crux of the book and are based on original research conducted by the authors