Deaf women in India and Norway and participation in society.
Project period
October 2018 – 2026
Background
Women occupy essential roles in society, executing crucial contributions in families and the labor market. The contributions occur in formal and informal work sector, in organizations and local communities, to mention a few. Their diverse roles span from being a mother, daughter, grandparent, partner, to being a colleague and friend and more. However, research on the challenges encountered by women with disabilities, especially in the Global South, seems to be limited (Ghai 2002, Grech 2016, Addlakha 2008, World Health Organization and The World Bank 2011). Deaf women experience as both deaf and woman multiple barriers, and the understandings of what disability means influence research focus and the implications to participation in society. My research is based on a minority perspective with an understanding of being deaf as a being part of a cultural and linguistic group with sign language.
Aims and research questions
The aim of the project is exploring participation in society and deaf Indian/Norwegian women. What factors may influence the deaf women’s participation in society and how may these affect the possibilities to the deaf women?
Method
The methods used in the project are autoethnography and ethnography.
Fieldwork performed in India 2020. Questionnaires to deaf women in the age 25-60 years were executed in Norway and India 2019-2020.
Publication
“A deaf researcher in an Indian and Norwegian context – an autoethnographic journey” published in Disability and Society https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09687599.2024.2355541 . (First article).
Planned publications; the second article on deaf Indian Womanhood and intersectionality. The third article on deaf clubs in a city in India, and the deaf persons’ strategies in a hearing world.
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