Page 57 - Reading Between the Sign Intercultural Communication for Sign Language Interpreters

42 Reading Between the Signs

social time with Deaf friends and at community events” (Smith
1996, 88).
In individualist cultures, such as the United States, Australia,
and most of northwest Europe, the basic unit of survival is the
individual. One is repeatedly encouraged to be independent, self-
reliant, and always ready to take responsibility for one’s own ac-
tions. Heavy emphasis is placed on personal choices, opinions,
and creativity. Group membership is flexible, and one can be a
member of many groups simultaneously. Identification with these
groups is relatively weak, however, and no one group completely
defines its members’ identities. Here in the United States, for ex-
ample, one may be a part of a book club, a church choir, and a
hiking club, but any of these may easily change if one’s interests
change or one moves to a different city. We engage in a continual
process of joining and leaving a series of groups, and we identify
with a group not because we must, but because of the (tempo-
rary) benefits it offers.
We are mistrustful of becoming too strongly attached to any
one group, seeing this as surrendering our personal identity. Many
Americans’ lives appear to be a quest to find their personal iden-
tity. This often includes a purposeful breaking away from their
family and birthplace. Sayings such as “Look out for #1” or “God
helps those who help themselves” underscore the autonomous
nature of individualist societies. Status in cultures like ours de-
pends largely on personal achievement.
An interesting way to capture the essence of cultural values is
to look at proverbs and aphorisms. Compare the American saying
“The squeaky wheel gets the grease” with a Japanese proverb
that translates as “The nail that sticks out gets hammered down.”
In the Japanese proverb, being noticed as separate from the group
is dangerous, whether one is singled out for positive or negative
reasons. In contrast, American culture admires and rewards those
who dare to call attention to themselves.
A Deaf “hero,” as seen in folktales and stories, is admired
because he or she helped other Deaf people. In Deaf culture, the
most respected leaders are “felt to be responsible for other Deaf
people, in a personal way. They must not only work for the better-
ment of the community but are expected to be open to all its
members, giving them time, attention and help” (Smith 1996,
30–31). Success in Deaf culture is applauded with the proviso that
one must not distance oneself from the Deaf community.

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