“The brand new Gong Gong Is actually Outdone” —Gooddamorobe: A beneficial “Deaf Town” in the Ghana as well as Matrimony Prohibition to have Deaf Lovers

Adamorobe is a village in Ghana the spot where the historical visibility from a hereditary type of deafness contributed to many deaf people. Along the centuries, a location sign words emerged ukrainare flickor fГ¶r Г¤ktenskap, which is used ranging from deaf and you may hearing people in day to day life, helping to make Adamorobe on an alternative host to inclusion regarding deaf some body. But not, during the 1975, a legislation was brought to attenuate the amount of deaf some body in Adamorobe: deaf someone don’t marry each other in order to prevent deaf offspring. In the long run, so it laws threatens the linguistic and social variety inside village where the the means to access sign words try omnipresent and you can in which deaf folks are considered fully effective and you will deserving people in society. This information is structured up to a couple categories of stress from the community, Firstly, hearing people’s acceptance and you will introduction of the deaf population, in place of the fresh wish to inhabit a village no (or shorter) deaf individuals. Subsequently, discover a tension anywhere between deaf mans experience of, and you may resistance against, what the law states, this really is a tension which may be noticed in the latest lifestyle out-of matchmaking ranging from deaf lovers, and abortions whenever these types of unions lead to pregnancies.

step 1. Inclusion

Every-where [in Adamorobe] the latest gong gong was defeated [to help you mention and you will pass on certain development]. We questioned: what happened? Did one thing rating taken? Did anyone rating murdered? But one to wasn’t the actual situation; the message try one deaf someone cannot get married both. The brand new gong gong are defeated plus it is asserted that deaf folks have in order to wed reading anyone. Brand new gong gong is defeated, “Because deaf with deaf rating college students exactly who can not pay attention to, can not tune in to, can’t pay attention to.” Ooohh we had been surprised. For example a pity…This new gong gong is beaten: get married reading, wed reading. That have hearing, not that have deaf. Every where the fresh new gong gong try rung: “Marry hearing, up coming hearing youngsters are produced, reading is actually produced, hearing try born. That’s an excellent, that is right. Deaf deaf deaf somebody every where, no that isn’t a great.” The brand new gong gong is actually beaten…Particularly a shame…(regret) [step 1,2].

“New Gong Gong Try Beaten” -A beneficialdamorobe: An effective “Deaf Village” during the Ghana as well as Matrimony Ban to possess Deaf Partners

In this quotation, Adamorobe’s eldest deaf woman laments an ancient moment. Into the 1975, from inside the first year from his chieftaincy, Nana Kwaakwaa Asiampong brought a rules-promulgated throughout the village because of the an excellent gong gong beater-that deaf members of Adamorobe are not permitted to get married each other because this perform end up in deaf offspring. Alternatively, they must orobe, deaf-reading unions are a lot less inclined to give ahead students you to definitely is deaf.

Adamorobe try a community in the southern area Ghana in which 41 deaf people real time among 3500 hearing villagers. That it oddly lot out of deaf villagers stems from brand new historic exposure from a “deaf gene,” a Connexin twenty six R143W mutation that was probably released when you look at the Adamorobe owing to marriage ceremonies involving the founding Akan matrilineal clans, beginning in the brand new later 18th century . Historically, the necessity to correspond with both in the heavy sociocultural communities out-of Adamorobe enjoys contributed to the brand new introduction away from a region signal language utilized by one another deaf and you may reading some one. Adamorobe Indication Code (AdaSL) is well known and you may employed by all of the deaf members of Adamorobe and you will from the a corner of reading populace, who possess grown viewing and making use of what, also Akan, its spoken words . Thus, Adamorobe is named “ mumfo krow ” into the Akan, definition “deaf town,” to own because number of individuals in Adamorobe just who see signal vocabulary was highest, they say you to definitely outsiders do not automatically pick who is deaf and you may who is reading, hence believe that individuals into the Adamorobe are deaf.

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