EMPOWERMENT IN THE DEAF COMMUNITY:ANALYZING THE POSTS OF INTERNET WEBLOGS

Here's an August 2009 Masters of Art thesis paper entitled: Empowerment in the Deaf Community: Analyzing the Posts of Internet Weblogs. In this paper it covered several well known deaf/hh blogs or "the nine amazing bloggers whose words can inform the world of the strength of their community," such as Kokonut Pundit, Fookem and Bug, Ear of My Heart, Ridor Live, Woparsb, Mishka Zena, Berke Outspoken, and The Deaf Edge (see page 38). Though the person who did the thesis tried to guess our age but missed mine by a decade. No contacts were made by the author of this study in order to reduce any interference or biasing.

In 2007 when the study began, several criteria were established to weed out 366 blogs where eight blogs remained (see page 34, note that Fookem and Bug is one blog with two bloggers). The thesis goes on to explain about the bloggers and the 416 posts (from April to June of 2007) that were analyzed:

this research examined personal and community empowerment in Deaf individuals as evidenced in 416 blog posts by nine individuals who are members ofthe DeafRead community. Common elements of empowerment found in the literature across a variety of disciplines include: evidence of valued social roles, improving others’ perceptions of oneself or ones’ own self image, overcoming stigma, changing or improving the community, informing the community and sharing expectations of what the community’s abilities. These elements constitute the framework for the current study. The study examined the degree to which Deaf bloggers discussed their sense of personal empowerment in their blog posts and the degree to which the content of Deaf blog posts advocated for community empowerment for their readers.

"Members of the Deafread community"? I don't see it that way but rather it's simply an aggregator site where you can submit your blog URL address to get it listed. No more different than Deaf Village as an aggregator site. Besides, my blogs are no longer listed in Deafread and for a good reason. My blogs only get listed in Deaf Village which is a much more evenly keeled aggregator site for deaf and hh bloggers that are more reflective and representative of deaf and hard of hearing people today.

Secondly, the thesis goes on to describe Deaf bloggers which is incorrect since not all deaf bloggers are Deaf but deaf or hard of hearing. Just because one has a blog listed in Deafread does not make that person a Deaf blogger. I don't know whether to be flattered or insulted for the author to label me as a Deaf blogger, which I'm not. A deaf blogger, yes. A hard of hearing blogger, yes. That was the author's mistake to assume a blogger's identity without asking first.

All in all, this thesis study put out a good effort to analyze Deaf bloggers (and not so much for Deaf, deaf, and hh bloggers) and their role in the Deaf community, empowerment efforts and such. Although the author neglected to even consider the deaf and hard of hearing communities in her research of those born with a hearing loss or acquired it later in life.