156 Deaf Epistemologies, Identity, and Learning
Perspective (the “eye”) really matters; the personal (the “I”) experience really
matters, as well. This little between eye/I space can be, in fact, rather expan-
sive. It is a space of potent possibilities, contained and yet kaleidoscopic in its
perspectives.... (Brueggemann, 2009, p. 24)Recent studies have had increased attention on the ontology of being deaf (Young,
2016) as an alternative for deafness, providing greater scope for subjectivity and
meaning. Alys Young captures this focus on what it means to be deaf:More broadly in respect to others who might be deaf but not sign language
users, [being deaf] is not just about how much one might hear or what lan-
guage(s) one uses. It is also about the host of other characteristics unrelated
to being deaf that might constitute diversity, for example, culture, faith, class,
sexual orientation, gender and so forth. Being deaf is about the whole person,
what may include her or his relationship with her or his deafness, but not at
the expense of a focus on the whole self and that self in society and the world
around. (p. 34)As an ontology of becoming, this chapter furthers the potentiality line that was ex-
plored in relation to the ontology of being in De Clerck (2016a). It gives a post-iden-
tity perspective and an alternative notion of subjectivity as “multilocality... gained
in an increased desire to belong, in a multiple rhizomatic manner that transcends
the classical bilateralism of binary identity formations” (Braidotti, 2011, p. 322):The point is not merely to deconstruct identities or loudly proclaim
counter-identities but to open up identity to different connections able to
produce multiple belongings that in turn precipitate a non-unitary vision of
a subject. Such a subject actively constructs itself in a complex and internally
contradictory set of social relations.
To achieve this, first we need to embrace intensive moments that activate
processes of change rather than fixating on essences. This means sociological
variables (gender, class, race and ethnicity, age, health) need to be supple-
mented with a theory of the subject that calls into question the inner fibres
of self-production. This requires the desire, ability, and courage to sustain
multiple belongings in a context that predominantly celebrates and rewards
unified identities (Braidotti, 2006, p. 85).Tales of Birth: Deaf Migrants and Intercultural Dialogue
This challenge of sustaining multiple belongings and grappling with diversity
could also be seen in debates about the inclusion of minority groups such as deaf
migrants. The deaf club in Antwerp, Madosa, was the only place where there were
active discussions on this topic with the involvement of deaf migrant participants.
This may be indicative of migrants’ limited participation in the community; al-
though an increasing number of deaf school students are from ethnically diverse
backgrounds, they currently have no dedicated organizations or clubs, and there
is no official representation of deaf migrants in Fevlado. In the preparations for