Fingerspelling P-r-i-v-i-l-e-g-e: American Sign Language (ASL), Embodied Voices, and Spectacular Performances as Communication By Andrea L. Balon A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Communications Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario ©2011, Andrea Balon Library and Archives Bibliotheque et 1*1 Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington OttawaONK1A0N4 OttawaONK1A0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-83133-5 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-83133-5 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par I'lntemet, prefer, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans le loan, distribute and sell theses monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non­ support microforme, papier, electronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in this et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. Ni thesis. Neither the thesis nor la these ni des extraits substantiels de celle-ci substantial extracts from it may be ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement printed or otherwise reproduced reproduits sans son autorisation. without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a la loi canadienne sur la Privacy Act some supporting forms protection de la vie privee, quelques may have been removed from this formulaires secondaires ont ete enleves de thesis. cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires aient inclus dans in the document page count, their la pagination, il n'y aura aucun contenu removal does not represent any loss manquant. of content from the thesis. 1*1 Canada ii Abstract This thesis explores how American Sign Language (ASL), as an embodied form of communication, enriches dominant understandings of voice and body within the field of communication studies. By interviewing hearing students learning sign language for the first time, several rupture moments within the signed classroom are instanced and exposed: the dislocation that hearing signers feel while being rendered speechless; the transitional spaces students occupy during embodied performances; and the disruption of privileged spaces when signers use this form of speech in public. The findings indicate that, through communication breakdowns, communication studies may expand its notion of voice, body, silence and noise, and communicative privileges that are displayed through the use of sign language in public. Finally, this paper will show that sign language is a valid vehicle for studying communications. Ill Acknowledgements First, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my supervisor, Sheryl Hamilton, for her unwavering support, encouragement, and patience throughout the past three years. This project would not be what it is without your insightful guidance, tough yet purposeful feedback, and willingness to adventure into the unknown. I recall our first meeting where I first shared my curiosity of sign language. Your faith in me and in this project taught me to take chances in scholarship and trust my inclinations. I am honoured to have taken this journey with you and I hope to work together in future endeavors. I must thank the other members of my committee, Chris Russill and Kimberly Sawchuk, for their generous praise, creative input, and challenging questions. I appreciate your enthusiastic engagement with this work and look forward to exploring your thoughtful and constructive suggestions in further research. I wish to express my sincere gratitude to Stephen Chesine for his heartfelt warmth, compassion, and tender care during this process. Thank you for helping me discover voice and being attentive to it. Thank you to Celia Posner, my teacher, colleague, mentor, and friend. You have provided me with unfailing inspiration, motivation, and emotional support. Meeting you has been the best outcome of this project and I am truly blessed have you in my life. The informal support and encouragement of many friends has been indispensable, and I would like particularly to acknowledge the contribution of Whitney Haynes, Robin Desmeules, Lesley Choules, Laura Tribe, Laura Smith, Kim Wucher, Barb Vocisano, Rebecca Sandiford, and Christopher Alderson. Thank you for your inspiration, company, and of course, providing the "sticks and carrots" for me to actually complete. My family has been, and continues to be, instrumental in my personal and academic achievements. This thesis would certainly not have existed without your unconditional love and lenient overdraft policies. Thank you. iv Table of Contents Abstract ii Acknowledgements iii Chapter One: Introduction 1 Literature Review 8 Linguistic Studies 13 Gestural Studies 15 Framing Signed Communication: Moving Bodies and Visual Performances 23 Methodology 31 The Ones That Got Away 36 Negotiating the Ethics of "Friendship as Method" 39 Preview 43 Chapter Two: Signed Happenings - Noisy Silence and Silent Noise as Communicative Events 45 The Desire to Communicate 51 The Fallback of Sign Language? 56 Speaking Silence, Silent Speech, and Visual Noise 62 Conclusion 70 Chapter Three: Embodied Negotiations: Voice, Body, and Shifting Performances 72 PSSSST! Whispering "Communicative Relief and "Communicative Limbo" 75 Less Say, More Do: Hand Talking and Body as Communication 81 Feeling Limber: Storytelling, Body Shifting, and Performing Embodiment 88 Communicating Gender Embodiment Differences 98 Conclusion 104 Chapter Four: Amplifying Power Relations and Spotlighting Privileged Spaces: Looking at the Spectacle of Signing in Public 106 Speculating on the Signed Spectacle 110 Spectacular Performances 120 Secrets on Display 125 Community as Club? Privileging Hearing Membership in the Signed Spectacle 128 Conclusion 135 Chapter Five: Conclusions 137 References 142 Appendix A: Sample Research Questions 152 1 Chapter One: Introduction Lingering outside the slightly ajar office door, I take a deep breath, raise my clammy fist up to knock on the door, and then lower it in hesitation. Do I knock? Would he be able to hear it? Is this even the right office? I take another look at the office number, crosscheck it with my barely legible hand-scribbled notes, and then scour the timetable pinned to the door for the professor's name. Confirming that it is indeed the right place, I take another deep breath, knock on the door, and then poke my head in the office to get the instructor's attention. Sitting at his desk with his lunch unpacked before him, the instructor looks up from his desk, pushes up the dark plastic frames resting low on his nose, makes eye contact, and nods so as to greet me. While I had anticipated that I would need to sign at some point in this meeting, however unsuccessful it may have been, I immediately became uncomfortable at the thought of having to do so. After setting both my notepad and keys down on the desk, I make a feeble attempt to sign. Awkwardly, I sign that I am seeking permission from the instructor to audit his sign language class, in order to help with my research and to also re-acquaint myself with the language: "Hi. Name me A-n-d-r-e-a. .. .Email you about," I sign by making the air quotes that I learnt earlier and by forming a backwards "C" shape with my right hand, and while using my other index finger, slice through it, away from me toward the instructor. "Not about. English word. English sign," the instructor corrects abruptly then waits for me to continue. "Email you....T-h-e-s-i-s?" 2 After discerning what I timidly finger spelled in lieu of knowing the proper sign, he shrugs his shoulders, amends my word choice, signals two air quotations, and utters the word "topic." "Email you topic," I sign putting all the corrections together. "A-S-L class... me want... study sign language.... I h-o-p-e? .... Student...ask question." Not sure what else to say or the manner in which to say it, I begin to panic. While rubbing the palms of my clammy hands together and darting my eyes back and forth between the door and the instructor, I desperately look for any salvation from the conversation - or lack thereof. "Me student... communication. Four year... past... me learn sign language. You... sign language class... me want...a-v-b -... a -u-d-i-t." Seeing the puzzled look on the instructor's face after I waveringly fingerspell 'audit', I verbally cry out in frustration, "How do I say I want to audit his beginner sign language class this summer for my research?" Perhaps recognizing my despair, the instructor flutters his hands in the air to get the attention of a woman sitting on the other side of the office. After signing something to the woman, she stands up from her chair, walks across the room, and repositions another chair in the far corner, forming a triangle between the three of "Come sit here instead," the woman verbally instructs. "This will help me see both of your faces. Don't be nervous. Just practice signing. I'll be here to help if you need." Encouraged by her words, I walk across the room, sit, and attempt to again sign my reason for coming with the few signs that I can recall. Using the woman as an interim interpreter for the rest of the conversation, I manage to get across to the instructor what I came to speak to him about.