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Social and professional participation of individuals who are deaf : utilizing the psychosocial potential maximization framework

journal contribution
posted on 2012-03-01, 00:00 authored by P Jacobs, P Brown, Louise PaatschLouise Paatsch
This article documents a strength-based understanding of how individuals who are deaf maximize their social and professional potential. This exploratory study was conducted with 49 adult participants who are deaf (n ¼ 30) and who have typical hearing (n ¼ 19) residing in America, Australia, England, and South Africa. The findings support a systematic and comprehensive framework of proactive psychosocial attributes and tactics. Statistical analysis showed no significant differences between the groups across four variables of psychosocial competencies. Qualitative data further suggests that participants who are deaf maximize their potential using two types of proactive psychosocial attributes and tactics: 1) skills that individuals with typical hearing use and 2) specialized skills for identifying, circumventing, or mastering deafness-related difficulties. These findings contribute to understandings of how individuals who are deaf can achieve social and professional success.

History

Journal

Volta review

Volume

112

Issue

1

Pagination

37 - 62

Publisher

Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc.

Location

Washington, D.C.

ISSN

0042-8639

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

2012, Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc.