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UC San Diego UC San Diego Electronic Theses and Dissertations UC San Diego UC San Diego Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Deaf people, modernity, and a contentious effort to unify Arab sign languages Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/23n5f0h5 Author Al-Fityani, Kinda Publication Date 2010 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO Deaf People, Modernity, and a Contentious Effort to Unify Arab Sign Languages A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Communication by Kinda Al-Fityani Committee in charge: Professor Carol Padden, Chair Professor Gary Fields Professor Rachel Mayberry Professor Michael Provence Professor David Serlin 2010 Copyright Kinda Al-Fityani, 2010 All rights reserved. The Dissertation of Kinda Al-Fityani is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication on microfilm and electronically: _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Chair University of California, San Diego 2010 iii DEDICATION To Mom and Bob, for believing in me. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Signature Page ....................................................................................................................iii Dedication ...........................................................................................................................iv Table of Contents .................................................................................................................v List of Abbreviations .........................................................................................................vii List of Figures .....................................................................................................................iv List of Tables........................................................................................................................ x Acknowledgments ..............................................................................................................xi Vita ....................................................................................................................................xiv Abstract of the Dissertation................................................................................................ xv Chapter 1: Introduction ........................................................................................................1 Chapter 2: Towards a Unified Pan-Arab Sign Language .....................................................7 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................7 Conceptualization of a Unified Arabic Sign Language...................................................... 11 The Arabic Manual Alphabet System ................................................................................14 First Installment of the ArSL Dictionary ...........................................................................23 Second Installment of the ArSL Dictionary....................................................................... 27 Further Developments of the ArSL Dictionary.................................................................. 34 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................41 Chapter 3: Reality of Sign Languages in the Arab Region ................................................42 Introduction ........................................................................................................................42 Sign Language Communities in the Arab Region.............................................................. 46 Lexicostatistical Analyses of Sign Languages ...................................................................54 Lexicostatistical Analyses of Sign Languages in the Arab Region.................................... 61 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................83 Chapter 4: ArSL as Empowerment ....................................................................................87 Introduction ........................................................................................................................87 v Designing ArSL for Education........................................................................................... 88 ArSL as a Human Right ...................................................................................................103 ArSL, Pan-Arab Nationalism, and Modernization........................................................... 109 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................124 Chapter 5: ArSL as Oppression........................................................................................ 126 Introduction ......................................................................................................................126 ArSL, Education, and Diglossia....................................................................................... 128 Human Rights ..................................................................................................................157 The Modern Deaf Arab Person ........................................................................................162 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................165 Chapter 6: Conclusion...................................................................................................... 167 References........................................................................................................................ 177 Appendix A ......................................................................................................................191 Appendix B ......................................................................................................................193 Appendix C ......................................................................................................................194 Appendix D ......................................................................................................................197 Appendix E....................................................................................................................... 199 Appendix F....................................................................................................................... 203 Appendix G ......................................................................................................................204 Appendix H ......................................................................................................................205 Appendix I........................................................................................................................ 207 Appendix J .......................................................................................................................208 Appendix K ......................................................................................................................210 vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ABSL: Al-Sayyid Bedouin Sign Language AFOOD: Arab Federation of the Organs of the Deaf, sometimes also referred to as Arab Federation for the Organs of the Deaf and Arab Federation of Organizations Working with the Deaf ALECSO: Arab League Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization AODP: Arab Organization of Disabled People ASL: American Sign Language ArSL: Arabic Sign Language Auslan: Australian Sign Language CAMSA: Council of Arab Ministers of Social Affairs HLID: Holy Land Institute for the Deaf KSL: Kuwaiti Sign Language LAS: League of Arab States LIU: Jordanian Sign Language, Lughat al-Ishara al-Urduniyah LSE: Spanish Sign Language, Lengua de Signos Espanola LSF: French Sign Language, Langue des Signes Francaise LSM: Mexican Sign Language, Lenguaje de Signos Mexicano LSL: Libyan Sign Language MSA: Modern Standard Arabic NS: Japanese Sign Language, Nihon Shuwa NZSL: New Zealand Sign Language vii PSL: New Zealand Sign Language SCFA: Supreme Council for Family Affairs (Qatar) SEE: Signed Exact English UN-ESCWA: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia WASLI: World Association of Sign Language Interpreters WFD: World Federation of the Deaf viii LIST OF FIGURES Chapter 2 Figure 1. Screenshot of Al Jazeera deaf-access hour ...........................................................8 Chapter 3 Figure 2. KORAN—The LIU sign is identical to its PSL cognate (4 shared parameters)......................................................................................................................... 67 Figure 3. BUTTERFLY—The LIU sign is related to its KSL cognate (3 shared parameters; orientation differs) ..........................................................................................68 Figure 4. ELEPHANT—The LIU sign is related to its LSL cognate (3 shared parameters; handshape differs) ..............................................................................................................68
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