Longing to Belong : Hard of Hearing Young Adults’ Experiences of Social Identity and Group Membership

• Studies on hard of hearing (HH) individuals have focused mostly on children´s experinces in school. Howerver, their lives as young adults have not received much attention. The present study therefore examined HH young adults´experiences of social identity and group membership. Semi-structured interviews were counducted with 16 individuals (10 males, 6 females) with servere-to-profound hearing loss. They were from diverse cultural backgrounds. A qualitative content analysis was performed with a manifest analysis. Two categories emerged: belonging to a social enviroment and engaging in important communication. The results indicate that the HH individuals, either deliberately or unconsciously, chose to be with other HH individuals because of their longing for group membership and desire to avoid being misunderstood. The participants longed for inclusion, acceptance, and opportunities to create an inclusive social environment and to communicate with others.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Sociologi -- Socialt arbete (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Sociology -- Social Work (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Hard of hearing

social identity

group membership

communication

social exclusion.

socialt arbete

Social Work

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)