Deaf identity and internalized ableism, audism, and linguicism

Abstract

This study examined associations between deaf identity configurations and internalized oppression among deaf adults in Poland (N = 134). Participants completed the Deaf Identity Development Scale and the Deaf Oppression Scale. Bicultural Identity was negatively associated with internalized ableism, audism, and linguicism (all ps < .001), whereas Hearing-aligned and Marginal Identities were positively associated with all three dimensions of internalized oppression (all ps < .001). Deaf-centered Identity was not significantly associated with any dimension of internalized oppression. An exploratory latent-variable model examined the direction of these associations while considering the three dimensions of oppression jointly and produced a pattern consistent with the correlational findings. Overall, stronger Bicultural Identity predicted lower internalized oppression, whereas stronger Hearing-aligned and Marginal Identities predicted higher internalized oppression. These findings are discussed in relation to deaf community cultural wealth and the cultural and social resources that may shape the relationship between deaf identity and internalized oppression.