Kampen för ett språk: Dövas två språk och tvåspråkighet i skolundervisningen i Sverige 1809-1990

Publicerad:2006-03-15

Uppdaterad:2012-03-02

Den diskurs som karakteriserar dövundervisningen i Sverige från den första dövundervisningen år 1809 fram till 1990 fokuseras på att tala eller teckna, vilket fick sitt pedagogiska uttryck i talmetod respektive teckenmetod. Fram till 1900-talets början ansågs den döve stå på en låg mental nivå och teckenspråket sågs som utvecklingshämmande. Under 50- och 60-talen förväntades alla elever lära sig tala med hjälp av hörselteknisk apparatur.

De döva hävdade att teckenspråket hjälpte dem att bygga upp sin omvärldsuppfattning. Tvåspråkigheten infördes dock först 1983. Under årens lopp förvandlades Sveriges Dövas Riksförbund till att bli en framträdande dövpolitisk påtryckargrupp.

Författare

Kjell Lundström

Opponent

Gunilla Preisler, Professor, Stockholm University, Department of Psychology, Stockholm, Sweden

Disputerat vid

SU – Stockholms universitet

Disputationsdag

2006-02-10

Titel (se)

Kampen för ett språk: Dövas två språk och tvåspråkighet i skolundervisningen i Sverige 1809-1990

Titel (eng)

Struggle for a language: Two languages and bilingualism for deaf pupils in Sweden 1809 – 1990

Institution

Institutionen för individ, omvärld och lärande (LHS)

Struggle for a language: Two languages and bilingualism for deaf pupils in Sweden 1809 – 1990

This dissertation deals with the two languages of the deaf, sign language and Swedish. The aim of the dissertation can be expressed in four questions:

” What ideas about the deaf and his or her education were influential during various time periods from 1809 to 1990 and what were the reactions of the deaf to the influence of these ideas?

” What were the opinions of the teachers on introduction of bilingual education?

” What was the pattern of communication in the schools for the deaf when bilingual education was introduced?

” What function is fulfilled by bilingualism in the recognition of the deaf from an equality perspective?

Four historical periods are analysed. The first has its focus on the mental development of the deaf (The ”Spiritual” Man) and the conflict between sign and oral language education. The second period was dominated by oral language and technical audiological assistance (The ”Bodily” Man). Johan Prawitz was opposed to this one-sided approach and argued that the deaf needed two languages separated from each other (sign language and Swedish). The third period stressed the necessity to integrate all children in mainstream education (The ”Integrated” Man). The deaf defended the special schools and the importance of sign language. The last period is characterized by bilingualism. The Swedish society acknowledged the sign language as the primary language for the deaf (The ”Bilingual” Man). During this period sign language was implemented in the special school. Both teacher experiences and classroom interaction have been documented.

This historical material has been analysed using a power and communicative approach, referring to Michel Foucault and Jürgen Habermas.

Finally, the results are discussed from a defectological as well as an intersubjective point of view.