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Science is the new threat to culture. I couldn’t believe how ferociously I watched a man defending his culture—against science, in the documentary Sound and Fury. The documentary follows the families of two brothers, as they wrangle with the important decision of implanting their deaf children with cochlear implants. Once in widespread use, the cochlear implant has the powerful potential of “killing” deaf culture. As I observed the determined and instinctual defense of deaf culture by its participants, I noticed that the transferring of deaf culture from one generation to the next generation was as much of an issue, if not more of an issue, than the advantages the ability to hear would provide a young deaf child. Although the success of an operation such as the cochlear implant is considered a medial miracle, the documentary shows how an implant was actually the source of devastating conflict in the deaf community and confirms that the biculturalism of children in deaf culture is not an easy option if the culture is threatened.

Before watching this film I had never considered two important facts. First, the fact that an ability or disability such as deafness could sustain an entire culture, and secondly, that most cultures in the world will find themselves dwindling down in numbers until they no longer exist. Naturally, it also never occurred to me that science or technology would result in the end of a culture. Of course, I have studied and read about the regrettable loss of Native American cultures and ancient Roman culture, but they are both historical accounts of a dominant culture invading and destroying another culture or an unfortunate disease wiping out a population and therefore its culture, too.

Sound and Fury presents a new approach to the loss of a culture. Medicine and science are the new threat to culture, and the method is unique because it requires the active consent of the participants. Therefore it also brings up the issues of acquisition, maintenance and inheritance of culture. Unfortunately, one option that was not thoroughly discussed in Sound and Fury is biculturalism, as seen in my journal entry from September 19, 2007: “…in the case of the cochlear implant I kept thinking, ‘Why choose? Why must a child be a part of only a deaf community or a hearing community? Why not both? Is it impossible to join both these cultures?’"

Biculturalism is “when a person learns to function optimally in more than one cultural context and to switch repertoires of behavior appropriately and adaptively as called for by the situation” (Berry, 1989, p.p. 352). It seems that deaf children who grow up with a cochlear implant could have the potential to be bicultural, thriving in both the deaf and hearing world, because they would understand and be able to communicate in both languages and cultures. I was baffled with the deaf parents’ requirements that the situation been seen in black and white.

As a hearing person, I immediately support the implant on various levels. On a personal level, I know the joy of hearing music and sound and wish to share it with every one. Socially, I find the implant appealing because it “levels the playing field” for deaf people in the school systems and the workforce. However, most importantly, I can culturally identify with the hearing world, and it is what I believe to be the best, most natural option for humans. Hearing is the majority culture of the world. I wrote in my journal about this discovery on September 19, 2007, “As a hearing person, I want my children to share the same experiences as I. Hearing is a part of my culture, and naturally I think it's a loss to miss out on it.”

Deaf culture has found adaptive strategies for coping in a majority hearing culture. Like ethnic or racial minorities, members of deaf culture socialize their children by remaining faithful to their own culture (Berry, 1989). Even as a hearing person, and therefore a member of the majority culture, I realize that in the last quote I am remaining faithful to my own culture as well.

Finally, Sound and Fury touches on issues of socialization goals. “Socialization refers to the processes by which individuals become distinctive and actively functioning members of the society in which they live” (Berry, 1989, p.p. 354). While watching the movie I felt the deaf parents who chose not to give their child the implant were limiting the opportunities and the society in which their children could become active members. By actively choosing not to have the implant the parents were choosing the socialization goals for their children, and unfortunately I believe it originates from fear. From my journal on September 19, 2007 I wrote,

“I believe with all my heart that the little girl who wanted the implant would probably never reject her entire deaf family simply because they were deaf and she could hear. Yet I sympathize with her family being fearful of that. I think her parents are scared or intimated of the majority culture. Minority families are always struggling against majority cultures and are fearful that their children will not accept them.”

Humanity may be striving for equality, but culture is quite the opposite. It supports domination and inequality; it supports unfair traditions and abusive relationships. Culture is like the ugly village monster, which relies on the unwitting villagers to survive. There is nothing inherently equal in my own American culture, either. I have been socialized to, not only accept the inequalities, but nurture those that exist. I think biculturalism will one day be the bridge that closes the gap between cultures. If the families of Sound and Fury realized the potential in raising bicultural children, they would see their children as leaders in their communities and advocates for their culture. Additionally, their culture would then no longer be threatened by science because there would be a generation that exists in both hearing and deaf worlds.