Deaf-hearing gestural interaction in Mumbai: An ethnography of communication

completed

The aim of this study is to understand the potential and limits of gesture use in language contact situations between deaf and hearing people who do not have fluency in a shared language (mode). In the socio-linguistically diverse environment of Mumbai, where (co-speech) gesture is widely and effectively used among speakers of different languages, the study considers two related issues: how fluent deaf signers use gestures (conventionalised and spontaneous) and aspects of Indian Sign Language to communicate with hearing non-signers; and how hearing speakers use gestures to communicate with deaf non-speakers. This research thus contributes to understanding the multilingual repertoire that speakers could use to achieve communication across diverse communities when attempting to reach mutual understanding. Deaf people can contribute greatly to studies of gesture, as they are skilled in creative gestural communication with hearing people.

In particular, the discourse range of gestural communication as well as its limitations and potential are investigated. The role of speech and writing in gestural communication are analysed, as is the role of the location of the interactions (i.e., the immediate physical/spatial environment). Hearing and deaf participants’ own perceptions of the relative ease of communicating on various topics in a range of situations are investigated. Relationships between the way gesture is used and the place where the interaction happens, as well as the underlying perspectives regarding gestures, sign language and deaf people, are identified.

To this end, gestural interactions in public and parochial spaces (such as markets, shops, streets, food joints, public transport, parks) between strangers, acquaintances or neighbours in Mumbai are observed and video-recorded, and interviews are conducted with both deaf and hearing individual participants to find out more about their views on gesture. The recordings provide data for analysis but also material for a film documentary, which will serve as a basis for further exploration in a second round of data collection in which the documentary will be presented for group discussion.

Blog: Preparing to capture the use of gesture in Mumbai

Fieldwork Photo Gallery: An ethnography of communication in Mumbai

Ishaare

» Trailer

"Ishaare" has a double meaning: it means "gestures" in Hindi and Marathi, but it also means "signs", as such indicating that there cannot be made a strict distinction between them. However, whilst there seems to be overlap between gestures and sign language, they differ too, as the protagonists of the movie show and tell us. The film "Ishaare" documents how six deaf signers communicate with familiar and unfamiliar hearing shopkeepers, street vendors, customers, waiters, ticket conductors and fellow travellers in Mumbai. Reena and Pradip, who is deaf blind, go grocery shopping along local streets, in markets and in shops. Sujit, our guide throughout the movie, communicates in public transport. Mahesh is a retail businessman who sells stocks of pens to stationery shops. Komal runs an accessory shop with her husband Sanjay, where most customers are schoolgirls. Durga is the manager of a branch of Café Coffee Day, an upmarket coffee chain. When enquiring, selling, bargaining and chitchatting, these deaf and hearing people use gestures and signs, and they also lipread, mouthe, read and write in different spoken languages. In the film, they share how they experience these ways of communication.

Documentary training by Visual Box

In this film, you will get an impression of the course that Visual Box, a Flemish sign language media agency, gave to five potential deaf cameramen with the aim of preparing them to record an ethnographic documentary on deaf-hearing visual communication in Mumbai (see project description). These five deaf young men have experience with making their own movies, but haven't yet had experience with filming full-length documentaries or in working with a (semi-)professional camera. During the course, we spent a lot of time in the city practicing how to record visual communication between deaf and hearing interlocutors. Research assistant Sujit acted as deaf research participant. In addition, we learned how to hold various kinds of interviews with or without a sign language interpreter and how to capture the environment. This course culminated in the pilot which you can see in the next film.

Pilot Mumbai Film

This film is our pilot study which was recorded at the end of the course, in which research assistant Sujit acted as deaf research participant. This film gives you an impression of what we are doing in Mumbai, the kind of data we are collecting and recording, and how we will use the images to create a documentary. There are a number of mistakes, including with the lighting, camera settings, and framing – we were practicing, after all! In the final documentary, we will portray six different deaf Mumbaikars in their interactions with (familiar) strangers and acquaintances throughout the city.