Emotion as Motivator: Parents, Professionals and Diagnosing Childhood Deafness

ABSTRACT

Diagnosing deafness is a culturally situated practice generating considerable research in health sciences but limited work in anthropology. Diagnosis fast-tracks parents into a medical and education pathway but can also create tension for parents and professionals. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, we argue that in this biomedical context, emotions are often understood by professionals as impairing for parents, and hence problematic for the treatment process. In contrast emotions are characterized by parents as motivational and tools for decision making on a pathway that is experienced as a source of stress.

KEYWORDS:

• Australia
• diagnosing childhood deafness
• emotions
• motivation
• parent reactions

Acknowledgments

Sincere thanks and appreciation to the many parents who generously shared their stories and experiences with the first author, and to the organizations that supported this study. Thank you to anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments. We are grateful to Medical Anthropology’s Editor Lenore Manderson and Editorial Assistant Victoria Team for their kind assistance.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1 This research required Human Research Ethics Committee approval from three different stakeholders: University of Adelaide (HREC H-2016-133); state Department of Education (DECD CS/17/000747-1.2); and state Department of Health (HREC/16/CHN/133).

2 All participants and field sites have been given pseudonyms.

3 The NDIS is a federally funded insurance scheme that provides individualized supports for people with disabilities.

Additional information

Funding

Funding for this research was provided to the first author through an Australian Postgraduate Award Scholarship.

Notes on contributors

Claire Harris

Claire Harris is a PhD candidate at the University of Adelaide, a documentary filmmaker and director of The Art Bus. Her research interests include the arts, arts in health, and experiences of families with deaf children and of young adults with cochlear implants.

Susan Hemer

Susan Hemer is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology and Development Studies at the University of Adelaide. Her research interests include the social impact of mining and development projects in the Pacific, expatriate communities associated with development projects, and in psychological anthropology, emotion and grief in both Melanesia and Indigenous Australia. E-mail: [email protected]

Anna Chur-Hansen

Anna Chur-Hansen, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, is a Registered Psychologist with Endorsement in Health Psychology and holds a PhD in Medical Education. Her research interests relate to food and eating; sex and relationships; physical pain; death and dying; and best practice education for health professionals. E-mail: [email protected]