Deaf Identity Under Pressure: Experiences of Deaf Persons in Iceland.
Kristinn Arnar Diego, Stefan C Hardonk
PMID 36641598WHAT IT FOUND
Six culturally Deaf Icelanders described their identity as tied to a shrinking community.
They feared sign language extinction due to cochlear implants and felt isolated by the small group size, with some seeking connection abroad.
Key findings
01Participants viewed the small size of the Icelandic Deaf community as a source of both security and isolation, often feeling pressured to maintain friendships with incompatible peers.
02All participants expressed anxiety about the future of the Deaf community, attributing its decline to the widespread use of cochlear implants and a resulting loss of sign language users.
03Communication barriers with the hearing community, particularly the difficulty of using written Icelandic or spoken language, negatively impacted participants' self-esteem and Deaf identity.
STILL TO COME
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What it does not show
The sample size is very small (six participants), limiting the transferability of findings. The study is specific to the Icelandic context, where the Deaf community is exceptionally small and hereditary deafness is uncommon, which may not reflect larger Deaf communities. The qualitative nature means the results describe individual experiences and perceptions rather than measurable outcomes or generalizable trends. Participants were selected based on identifying as culturally Deaf, excluding those with different identity perspectives or those who do not use sign language.
Declared interests
The study was funded by ÖBI and the Icelandic Association of the Deaf.
The easy way to misread this
Do not generalize these findings to all Deaf individuals or assume that cochlear implants universally cause identity distress. This study reflects the specific anxieties of six culturally Deaf adults in a very small, isolated community; individual experiences with implants and identity vary widely.