M.A. / The study presents a narrative exploration of the potential offered by SCUBA (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) diving as a therapeutic wilderness adventure context bridging Deaf and hearing experiences. It is structured as an emerging narrative in three parts. Part I explores the philosophical and theoretical literature with a view to providing an overview of the epistemological frameworks against which the study is presented and which could result in a sense of tension between modern/post modern discourses within the reader/author. Part II reviews the current literature pertaining to: Deafness and Deaf/hearing relations, contrasting the medical-pathological perspective of Deafness with a socio-cultural model and examining perceptions regarding the development of a Deaf cultural identity, the articulation of meaning and culturally affirmative proposals with regard to the integration of Deaf and hearing experiences; adventure, wilderness programmes and practices as agents of therapeutic change with particular reference to the Deaf and other disabled communities; and the potential application of SCUBA diving and the underwater environment as metaphorically different agents of therapeutic change and particularly as they relate to Deaf/hearing relations. Part III attempts to provide a multi-levelled dialogical space for the voices of Deaf and hearing participants in the study to emerge and reflect on their lived experiences of their participation in a SCUBA diver course and its potential impact on lived experiences and personal narratives and metaphors. The study is written as a post modern text and explores Bakhtin’s (1973) theories of dialogism as a basis for presenting a polyphonic text.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:14688 |
| Date | 14 November 2008 |
| Creators | Ward, Edmund Herbert |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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