Cultural and Creative Studies
Cultural and Creative Studies
Deaf Cultural Studies/ASL
RIT offers Deaf Cultural Studies courses to students enrolled in associate and bachelor's degree programs. Courses for associate degree students are offered through the College of NTID, and courses for bachelor's degree students are offered through the RIT College of Liberal Arts. These courses employ a cultural studies framework in which to examine the Deaf experience and social/cultural constructs. As such, the courses do not approach being Deaf as a pathology or disability. In addition to studying Deaf culture, students will develop critical consciousness of power-relationships and social justice as well as an understanding of individual and social identity with specific reference to the Deaf experience. Focusing on the Deaf experience, students will study how meaning is created and shared via the power of cultural institutions and values and how institutions and values impact the formation of identities, social roles and expectations.
The Deaf Cultural Studies minor and immersion offered to students enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs through the RIT College of Liberal Arts provides a unique opportunity for RIT students to pursue and critically analyze integrated scholarly studies related to the historical, anthropological, psychosocial, linguistic, artistic, literary, legal/political and multicultural elements of the Deaf experience. The minor and immersion provide students with opportunities to critically examine social and cultural constructions, especially as they impact individuals and social groups. As a result, students may be empowered as agents of social change.
The Study of Deaf Culture
As with the specialized study of most ethnic and disenfranchised groups, RIT Deaf Cultural Studies approaches the field from a cultural perspective. For disenfranchised groups, this means one must study their culture in relation to the more general cultural context. Courses in literary and artistic expressions of members of these groups, for example, must be analyzed in light of the broader context of the experiences of oppression and resistance.
The field of cultural studies focuses on how meaning is created and shared via the power of cultural institutions and values as they impact the formation of identities, social roles and expectations. Cultural studies allows us to examine our social constructions of reality and question subsequent inequalities. In particular, the field of Deaf Cultural Studies crosses many disciplines and includes American Sign Language as a core construct.
Selected Resources
Deaf Cultural Studies/ASL Certificate
The Certificate in Deaf Cultural Studies/ASL is offered to students enrolled in degree programs at NTID and the other colleges of RIT as an enhancement to their portfolio of general academic, career, and technical skills. It is not a stand-alone certification. The certificate offers an opportunity to learn about historical, anthropological, linguistic, literary, artistic, and multicultural aspects of deaf people’s lives. Courses expose students to a breadth and depth of topics in Deaf Cultural Studies and ASL, and address NTID General Education goals for critical thinking, writing, and public presentations.
American Sign Language and Deaf Cultural Studies Minor and Immersion
Overview of Minor
The American Sign Language-Deaf Cultural Studies minor prepares students in the multi-disciplinary study of American Sign Language (ASL) and Deaf Cultural Studies (DCS). Courses are open to deaf and hearing students enrolled in bachelor's degree programs.
Overview of Immersion
The American Sign Language-Deaf Cultural Studies immersion introduces students to the multi-disciplinary study of American Sign Language and Deaf Culture. Courses are open to deaf and hearing students enrolled in bachelor's degree programs and can complement majors in fields such as business, imaging arts and sciences, health sciences, policy studies, communication, psychology, and numerous scientific and technical fields.
Deaf Leadership Minor and Immersion
Overview of Minor
The deaf leadership minor provides you with an opportunity to explore aspects of deaf community leadership with special emphasis on ethics, rhetoric, social media communication, intersectionality, current national and international trends, and accessible technology.
Notes about this minor:
- This minor is closed to students majoring in the community development and inclusive leadership.
- Posting of the minor on the student's academic transcript requires a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the minor.
- Notations may appear in the curriculum chart outlining pre-requisites, co-requisites, and other curriculum requirements (see footnotes).
Overview of Immersion
The Deaf leadership immersion provides students with an opportunity to explore aspects of community development and leadership with special emphasis on ethics, rhetoric, social media communication, intersectionality, current national and international trends, and accessible technology.
Notes about this immersion:
- This immersion is closed to students majoring in community development and inclusive leadership.
- Students are required to complete at least one course at the 300-level or above as part of the immersion.
Diversity, Inclusion, and Dialogue Minor and Immersion
Overview of Minor
In the diversity, inclusion, and dialogue minor you will study the social construct of diverse communities through examination of experiences of inequity, discrimination, oppression, and intersectionality. You will learn constructive dialogue techniques for use across a range of communities, with the goal of understanding diverse populations and their experiences.
Notes about this minor:
- This minor is closed to students majoring in the community development and inclusive leadership.
- Posting of the minor on the student's academic transcript requires a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the minor.
- Notations may appear in the curriculum chart outlining pre-requisites, co-requisites, and other curriculum requirements (see footnotes).
Overview of Immersion
Students in the diversity, inclusion, and dialogue immersion will study the social construct of diverse communities through examination of experiences of inequity, discrimination, oppression, and intersectionality. They will learn constructive dialogue techniques for use across a range of communities, with the goal of understanding diverse populations and their experiences.
Notes about this immersion:
- This immersion is closed to students majoring in community development and inclusive leadership.
- Students are required to complete at least one course at the 300-level or above as part of the immersion.
Communication, Social, and Global Awareness
Courses in the Communication, Social, and Global Awareness Perspective address a range of contemporary topics, concepts and principles through the study of personal, social, cultural, and technological issues. In addition to content area knowledge, these courses emphasize skills in the areas of communication, literacy and critical thinking.