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Arthur, Dana, St. George, Victoria
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Spring 2024
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2024-05
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Masterson_Honors.pdf
Adobe PDF, 143.81 KB
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Abstract
The representation of Deaf individuals and Deaf culture in media has been a debated topic in the
Deaf Community for years. Many feel that the way Deaf characters are depicted on screen
perpetuates negative stereotypes that can spread misconceptions about the Deaf Community.
With recent blockbuster films like CODA and A Quiet Place featuring Deaf characters played by
Deaf actors, it brings up the question of if these modern films depict deafness in a way that is
accurate to and accepted by the Deaf Community. The purpose of this thesis was to collect data
to try and better understand how Deaf characters in film have been portrayed and characterized
in films from 1975 to 2021. The desired outcome by conducting this research was to determine if
the quantity of Deaf characters has increased over time, and whether the quality of the Deaf
characters has improved over time as well. A questionnaire was designed that allowed me to
keep track of the role that Deaf characters played in the films I watched. Based on the data
collected through the questionnaire, it was determined that the total number of films featuring
Deaf characters has increased over time, and that these characters have overall become more
well-rounded and developed. Areas for improvement when it comes to representation of the Deaf
community in film were also pinpointed, as there was a lack of representation that was age
appropriate for children, as well as several stereotypes that were seen in multiple films across the
years. This thesis contributes to pre-existing literature surrounding the representation of deafness
in the media. Key words: Communication disorders, Deaf, representation, film, stereotype
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