Intellectual Merit: What tactics and strategies do international missionaries use in their outreach to deaf people and how do deaf missionary subjects respond? What articulations are there between conversion to deaf sociality and conversion to Christianity? The Fellow presents an ethnographic project that explores the role of Christianity in deaf world in the United States and India, critically asks questions about the black box of conversion, and analyzes impact of what happens as (global) Christianity travels. This research will contribute to the current literature that critiques the analytic boundaries of 'religious' and 'secular.'
Broader Impacts: Currently there is little known about role of the church in developing deaf communities. Results will contribute to social scientists' knowledge of deaf people in the United States and India and will explore possibilities and constraints existing in terms of sociality, education, and participation within 'mainstream' society. The Fellow's research findings will be relevant to both social scientists and to policymakers and service providers working in the field of deaf human services. The Fellow intends to organize coursework on deafness and disability and will attend academic and policy oriented conferences to present research results.
Lastly, the Fellow will continue to serve as a mentor to disabled students considering STEM fields. Deaf people are under-represented in STEM fields and mainstream academic settings; therefore this project, by supporting a deaf researcher, will increase participation in minority groups in STEM.
