Deaf Culture and American Sign Language Studies
Overview
Sacramento City College Deaf Culture and American Sign Language Department provides academic coursework based on a Deaf-centered framework that encourages students to embrace an empowered collaboration with Deaf people. The program prepares students with a basic understanding of and appreciation for their roles in local, regional, national, and global Deaf-Hearing relations and how those relationships impact Deaf people.
Program Maps
A.A./A.S. Degrees
Certificates
- Interim Dean Ginny McReynolds
- Department Chair Kevin Clark
- Phone (916) 374-7180
- Email ClarkK@scc.losrios.edu
Associate Degree
A.A. in Deaf Culture & American Sign Language Studies
This degree provides academic coursework based on a Deaf-centered framework that encourages students to embrace an empowered collaboration with Deaf people. It provides an introductory overview of the Deaf community and American Sign Language in a cultural context, with the psychosocial dynamics of people working in the Deaf community. It also emphasizes the development of skills related to paraprofessional services, in an individual or group setting, in an educational or social services agency that serves Deaf clients.
Catalog Date: August 1, 2024
Degree Requirements
| Course Code | Course Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| DEAF 310 | American Sign Language I | 4 |
| DEAF 312 | American Sign Language II | 4 |
| DEAF 314 | American Sign Language III | 4 |
| DEAF 316 | American Sign Language IV | 4 |
| DEAF 351 | Introduction to American Deaf Culture | 3 |
| DEAF 355 | Audism and Inequality of the Deaf | 3 |
| Total Units: | 22 |
The Deaf Culture & American Sign Language Studies Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree may be obtained by completion of the required program, plus general education requirements, plus sufficient electives to meet a 60-unit total. See SCC graduation requirements.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this program, the student will be able to:
- compare and contrast characteristics that impact a Deaf person’s life in the following areas: the world of work, education, family, language, and social development.
- demonstrate the ability to carry on American Sign Language conversation consistent with the ability of a 4th-semester second language learner with a Deaf individual or groups of Deaf people.
- apply entry-level positions working with the Deaf community.
- demonstrate knowledge of characteristics related to personal growth and adjustment in various populations within and outside of the Deaf community.
- apply skills in working with various Deaf participants within and outside of the Deaf community.
- demonstrate skills in working with school-age Deaf children in an educational setting.
- compare and differentiate the Deaf individual to individuals of diverse populations when comparing human development.
- demonstrate appropriate cultural interaction within the Deaf community as an anti-audist ally.
- demonstrate the ability to communicate respectfully in a Deaf-culture setting.
Certificate of Achievement
Deaf Culture & American Sign Language Studies Certificate
This certificate provides academic coursework based on a Deaf-centered framework that encourages students to embrace an empowered collaboration with Deaf people. It provides an introductory overview of the Deaf community and American Sign Language in a cultural context, with the psychosocial dynamics of people working in the Deaf community. It also emphasizes the development of skills related to paraprofessional services, in an individual or group setting, in an educational or social services agency which serves Deaf clients.
Catalog Date: August 1, 2024
Certificate Requirements
| Course Code | Course Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| DEAF 310 | American Sign Language I | 4 |
| DEAF 312 | American Sign Language II | 4 |
| DEAF 314 | American Sign Language III | 4 |
| DEAF 351 | Introduction to American Deaf Culture | 3 |
| DEAF 355 | Audism and Inequality of the Deaf | 3 |
| Total Units: | 18 |
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this program, the student will be able to:
- compare and contrast characteristics that impact a Deaf person’s life in the following areas: the world of work, education, family, language, and social development.
- demonstrate ability to carry on American Sign Language conversation consistent with the ability of a 4th semester second language learner with a Deaf individual or groups of Deaf people.
- apply to entry-level positions working with the Deaf community.
- demonstrate knowledge of characteristics related to personal growth and adjustment in various populations within and outside of the Deaf community.
- apply skills in working with various Deaf participants within and outside of the Deaf community.
- demonstrate skills in working with school-age Deaf children in an educational setting.
- compare and differentiate the Deaf individual to individuals of diverse populations when comparing human development.
- demonstrate appropriate cultural interaction within the Deaf community as an anti-audist ally.
- demonstrate the ability to communicate respectfully in a Deaf-culture setting.
Career Information
This certificate prepares students for entry-level positions such as paraprofessional services in an individual or group setting, in an educational or social services agency which serves Deaf clients.
Deaf Culture and American Sign Language Studies (DEAF) Courses
DEAF 310 American Sign Language I
- Units:4
- Hours:72 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Transferable:CSU (Previously approved for SILA 305.); UC (Previously approved for SILA 305.)
- General Education:AA/AS Area I; CSU Area C2; IGETC Area 6
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This is the beginning course in a series of four courses in the visual-gestural processes of American Sign Language (ASL). It provides instructional activities for students to become competent in communication with deaf people. The emphasis is on non-speech communication. Credit will be awarded for either SILA 305 or DEAF 310 but not for both. This course is formerly known as SILA 305.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- assemble short sentence dialogs that demonstrate receptive and expressive competencies of targeted lexical and syntactical forms of American Sign Language.
- compare and contrast the characteristics of the Deaf community and the Deaf community dynamic with the hearing community.
- utilize appropriate vocabulary and communicative strategies using eye contact, body orientation, and social behaviors related to communication interaction.
- demonstrate appropriate cultural interaction within the Deaf community.
- respect and adhere to the signing only environment in the classroom.
DEAF 312 American Sign Language II
- Units:4
- Hours:72 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:DEAF 310 with a grade of "C" or better
- Transferable:CSU (Previously approved for SILA 306.); UC (Previously approved for SILA 306.)
- General Education:AA/AS Area I; CSU Area C2; IGETC Area 6
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This is the second in a series of four courses in American Sign Language. Topics presented include grammatical features such as adjective descriptors, differentiation between cardinal and ordinal numbers, contrastive structure, temporal aspect markers, and temporal sequencing. Credit will be awarded for either SILA 306 or DEAF 312 but not for both. This course is formerly known as SILA 306.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- formulate complex dialogs receptively and expressively of targeted situational lexical items based on daily life activities.
- compose narrations utilizing basic role shifting, mannerisms, and targeted syntactical items.
- construct appropriate communicative responses in imitating, conducting, and terminating dialogs.
- analyze social customs and cultural interaction of the various groups within the Deaf Community.
- demonstrate the ability to communicate respectfully in a Deaf-culture setting.
- demonstrate appropriate cultural interaction within the Deaf community.
DEAF 314 American Sign Language III
- Units:4
- Hours:72 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:DEAF 312 with a grade of "C" or better
- Transferable:CSU (Previously approved for SILA 315.); UC (Previously approved for SILA 315.)
- General Education:AA/AS Area I; CSU Area C2; IGETC Area 3B; IGETC Area 6
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course is the third in a series of four courses in American Sign Language. It emphasizes expressive and receptive nonverbal communication skills between signers who have preliminary American Sign Language syntactical and lexical skills. It provides an understanding of deaf cultural processes by identifying behaviors and norms from activities assigned in the class. It also includes dialogs that involve asking, empathizing, negotiating, and agreeing or disagreeing. The emphasis is on non-speech communication. This course is formerly known as SILA 315. Credit will be awarded for either SILA 315 or DEAF 314 but not for both.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- appraise and demonstrate receptive and expressive skills of targeted grammatical features that include the following areas: numbers when expressing time, money, counting, dates and addresses concepts; frequency verbs when expressing time and duration; locative classifiers when describing buildings and floor plans; descriptive classifiers when asked to define and describe furniture, clothing, various objects, and food dishes.
- analyze lexical and grammatical patterns by signing selected or self-developed narratives.
- compare and contrast social norms of Deaf people to those personal cultural experiences in signed narratives.
- demonstrate ability to communicate respectfully in a Deaf-culture setting.
- demonstrate appropriate cultural interaction within the Deaf community.
DEAF 316 American Sign Language IV
- Units:4
- Hours:72 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:DEAF 314 with a grade of "C" or better
- Transferable:CSU (Previously approved for SILA 316.); UC (Previously approved for SILA 316.)
- General Education:AA/AS Area I; CSU Area C2; IGETC Area 3B; IGETC Area 6
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This is the final course in a series of four courses in American Sign Language. It emphasizes expressive communication skills that involve sharing interesting facts, talking about money, making major life decisions, and narrating unforgettable moments. It incorporates information and activities previously learned about the Deaf into these narratives. Credit will be awarded for either SILA 316 or DEAF 316 but not for both. This course is formerly known as SILA 316.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- appraise and demonstrate receptive and expressive mastery of targeted grammatical markers that will include: elaborations in narratives, dialogs, utilizing signs that describe major life decisions; discussing health conditions; and using money.
- formulate learned cultural experiences into narratives as assigned by instructor.
- apply expressive strategies in signing longer and more complex narratives including use of characterization and narrative styles.
- apply expressive strategies in signing to explain the complex ideas in the form of a lecture about the health conditions.
- differentiate in sign how people share and describe major life decisions.
- demonstrate communication processes involving money related signs.
- use critical thinking skills by analyzing facts to explain, rephrase, demonstrate, or draw conclusions to clearly present the facts.
DEAF 320 Fingerspelling, Classifiers and Numbers
- Units:0.5 - 1
- Hours:27 - 54 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:DEAF 310 with a grade of "C" or better
- Transferable:CSU
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course provides hands-on experiences with fingerspelling, classifiers, and American Sign Language (ASL) numbers. Topics include expressive and receptive fingerspelling, classifiers and ASL number techniques. This course enables American Sign Language learners to develop, expand, and reinforce hands-on experiences with fingerspelling, classifiers and ASL numbers skills while working independently, in small groups and with media such as DVDs and record video clips in ASL that incorporate fingerspelling. Coursework includes study topics integrated with expressive and receptive fingerspelling, classifiers and ASL numbers techniques. Student may re-enroll for a maximum of 1 unit. This course is graded as Pass/No PASS.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- demonstrate basic receptive fingerspelling, classifiers, and ASL numbers skills with at least 70% accuracy.
- demonstrate basic expressive fingerspelling, classifiers, and ASL numbers skills.
- demonstrate ability to communicate respectfully in a Deaf-culture setting.
- demonstrate appropriate cultural interaction within the Deaf community.
DEAF 351 Introduction to American Deaf Culture
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Advisory:ENGWR 300 with a grade of "C" or better
- Transferable:CSU (Previously approved for SILA 330.); UC (Previously approved for SILA 330.)
- General Education:AA/AS Area V(b); CSU Area D; IGETC Area 4
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course is a survey of four institutions that have critical impact on the psycho-social development of Deaf people: family, education, work, and society. It provides awareness and sensitivity to the unique challenges of deafhood and how they influence personal-social and communication competencies of the Deaf person. Selected visits to community events may be required. This course is formerly known as SILA 330. Credit will be awarded for either SILA 330 or DEAF 351 but not for both.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- define culture and apply the definition by using examples of typical social norms of Deaf people.
- identify the rules of social interaction in the Deaf community.
- define language and apply the definition by giving examples brought out from experiences with Deaf people.
- construct a detailed description of the census, racial, ethnic, education, employment, social and advocacy, and family environment characteristics of the Deaf community.
- narrate instances of bias connected to Deaf individuals and groups.
- demonstrate appropriate cultural interaction within the Deaf community.
- demonstrate ability to communicate respectfully in a Deaf culture setting.
DEAF 352 Introduction to American Deaf Education
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:DEAF 351 with a grade of "C" or better
- Advisory:ENGWR 300 with a grade of "C" or better
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area V(b); AA/AS Area I
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course surveys topics related to educating Deaf children, adults, and individuals with additional disabilities. It also covers teaching methods and philosophies, school placement issues, child development, and methods of addressing developmental and linguistic stages. Selected visits to a residential Deaf school in Fremont and/or a local mainstreaming/Deaf program school may be required. This course is formerly known as SILA 332. Credit will be awarded for either SILA 332 or Deaf 352 but not for both.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- validate an analysis of a topic from a research paper that relates to education of Deaf people.
- distinguish and describe essential components of PL 94-142, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
- differentiate characteristics of school placement sites for Deaf children and for young deaf adults who transition from a high school education to a post-secondary education.
- list and describe the various hereditary syndromes that occur among Deaf children with additional disability conditions.
- distinguish, assess, and evaluate family dynamics of Deaf children with hearing or Deaf families.
- categorize and evaluate the research done on the effectiveness of the communication systems used by Deaf children in the educational system.
- distinguish and assess developmental processes of cognitive theory as presented by Piaget and of the development of life stages as presented by Erikson.
- demonstrate appropriate cultural interaction within the Deaf community.
- demonstrate ability to communicate respectfully in a Deaf culture setting.
DEAF 353 Baby Sign Language
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Transferable:CSU
- General Education:CSU Area C2
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course focuses on Baby Sign Language vocabulary, alphabet, handshape, movement, palm orientation, structure, and grammar. Students will learn core vocabulary, comprehension, and grammar in American Sign Language to understand its structure. Students will also be introduced to the history of the Deaf community and its culture, as well as be exposed to community resources for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing populations.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- learn and demonstrate manual alphabet American Sign Language (ASL).
- understand fingerspelling at a controlled speed, learn basic ASL vocabulary.
- demonstrate an understanding of correct palm orientation and sign movement.
- understand basic ASL grammar and structure in expressive and receptive skills.
- express the basic use of ASL vocabulary to communicate with infants and children.
- analyze, compare, and select appropriate community resources for Deaf and Hard of hearing infants.
DEAF 355 Audism and Inequality of the Deaf
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:DEAF 351 with a grade of "C" or better
- Advisory:ENGWR 300 with a grade of "C" or better
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area V(b); AA/AS Area VI; CSU Area C2; IGETC Area 4
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course focuses on topics in the field of race and ethnicity in the Deaf community. It provides theoretical background and contexts of audism and oppression. It also covers the contribution of minorities including Deaf people to the United States as well as the sociological reasons for inequality of Deaf people in the United States.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- evaluate how social processes, social inequality, and social relationships have shaped the experiences of various minorities in the United States.
- critique the processes of assimilation, accommodation, acculturation, and ethnogenesis.
- identify social processes that lead to conflict and cooperation among Deaf and hearing people in the United States.
- assess the outcomes and identify the origins of prejudice and discrimination against Deaf people in the United States.
- demonstrate appropriate cultural interaction within the Deaf community.
- demonstrate ability to communicate respectfully in a Deaf culture setting.
- define Audism, Dysconscious Audism, Intersectionality including race, ethnicity, gender, LGBTIQIA, Deaf Blind, Deaf Disabled, etc along with examples.
DEAF 360 Deaf Art
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:CSU Area C1; IGETC Area 3A; IGETC Area 3B
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course introduces Deaf Arts such as drawings, sculptures, artifacts, painting, printmaking, and films. We will examine the materials, methods, and design principles of creating Deaf Arts. This course addresses the need and demand of this instruction for global recognition and its social and cultural affects toward Deaf Arts. It promotes global and cultural understanding to the relationship of Deaf Art and the expression of national, regional, socio-economic class, and gender identity.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- differentiate between the different times periods of Deaf Arts.
- critique the styles of different deaf artists and recognize the basic differences in each artist's work.
- compare and contrast the styles of different deaf art forms.
- identify the historical styles of various art forms.
- identify various poets and how their artwork is a reflection of their culture and values.
DEAF 362 Introduction to Deafhood
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:Fluency in American Sign Language (ASL), and strong receptive and expressive skills in ASL without ASL Interpreters.
- Advisory:The student needs to have been immersed in the Deaf culture and the Deaf community to be successful in this course.
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area VI; CSU Area D; IGETC Area 4
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
In this course, an in-depth guide to Deaf culture will be presented, starting from the premise that Deaf culture has an important contribution to make to other academic disciplines and to human lives in general. Within and outside of Deaf communities, there is a need for an account of the new concept of Deaf culture, which helps students or Deaf leaders in the Deaf community to assess its place alongside work within other minority cultures and multilingual discourses. In this course, students will assess the concepts of culture on its own terms and in its many guises and apply these to Deaf communities. In addition, the students will study the pitfalls that have been created for Deaf communities by an unthinking adherence to the medical concept of 'deafness' and contrast this with the new concept of Deafhood: a process by which every Deaf student, family, and adult implicitly explains their existence in the world to themselves and each other.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- demonstrate the process of deafhood from one's experiences as a deaf person, whereas hearing students will be able to demonstrate the sensitivity to a deaf person's experiences.
- identify the terms of colonialism and their effect on the deaf individuals and on the Deaf community.
- compare and contrast the effects of colonialism and the de-colonialism on the deaf individuals with the people of the minority groups as well as some countries that were under British rule or French rule.
- define terms such as sub-alterns, deficit thinking, and oralism.
- demonstrate the ability to have discourses on deficit thinking, sub-alterns, oralism, dimension, resistance, and activism from different perspectives.
- synthesize deafhood process, possibility thinking, identity development, and framing.
- identify racial and multicultural communities within the Deaf community and demonstrate how to become an ally of the Deaf community.
DEAF 380 American Sign Language Literature
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:DEAF 314 with a grade of "C" or better
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area I; CSU Area C2; IGETC Area 3B
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course introduces American Sign Language (ASL) literature genres such as folklore and folktales, storytelling, visual vernacular, personification, classifier story, poetry, ABC and number stories, and non-fiction narrative. Topics include analyzing and applying ASL usage in ASL literature genres.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- analyze and critique genres in ASL literature.
- identify various techniques and styles of ASL literary works.
- produce and perform different genres in ASL literature.
- analyze ASL literary works for historical, social, and cultural messages.
- comprehend literary analysis and significant linguistic and cultural aspects of ASL narratives.
- demonstrate ability to communicate respectfully in a Deaf culture setting.
- demonstrate appropriate cultural interaction within the Deaf community.
DEAF 495 Independent Study
- Units:1 - 3
- Hours:54 - 162 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:None.
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course involves an individual student or small groups of students in study, research, or activities beyond the scope of regular offered courses, pursuant to an agreement among college, faculty members, and students. Independent studies offers students a chance to do research that is more typical of industry and graduate student work. UC transfer credit will be awarded only after the course has been evaluated by the enrolling UC campus. The units completed for this course cannot be counted towards the minimum 60 units required for admissions.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- produce work independently on the topic.
DEAF 499 Experimental Offering in Deaf Culture & ASL Studies
- Units:0.5 - 4
- Prerequisite:None.
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This is the experimental courses description.