Deaf life narratives in times of transition.

ended

The research project concerns deaf people who use a signed language, such as BSL (British Sign Language). It investigates the potential of a culturally familiar practice, storytelling, as a means of promoting agency, resilience and better well being. Using techniques of narrative therapy, narrative analysis and grounded theory, the project will explore the significance of life story work to enhance well being from a cross cultural perspective, engaging with deaf migrants from diverse nation states. It will result in a life story instrument, piloted during the study that exploits the visual learning strengths of deaf people and the properties of visual (non-textual) languages through digital media. It extends current research on narrative methods as a form of cultural brokering and emancipatory methodologies within critical deaf epistemologies.