The Deaf / Their Position in Society and the Provision for Their Education in the United States

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

23320

Title

The Deaf / Their Position in Society and the Provision for Their Education in the United States

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Harry Best's 1914 study offers a comprehensive social survey of the deaf population in the United States. It examines their status, economic conditions, and societal perceptions while detailing the history and organization of their educational institutions. This authoritative text advocates for the deaf as a permanent, capable element of citizenship deserving of equal educational rights and legal protection.

Summary up to 500 words

Published in 1914, Harry Best's *The Deaf: Their Position in Society and the Provision for Their Education in the United States* serves as a comprehensive social and economic survey of the deaf community in America. Best explicitly rejects the medical or charitable frameworks often applied to the deaf, arguing instead that they constitute a permanent element of the population requiring specific social and legal recognition as citizens rather than wards of the state. The work is structured into two primary sections. The first examines the deaf's standing in society, analyzing the causes of deafness—distinguishing between adventitious (acquired) and congenital cases—and exploring the feasibility of prevention. Best investigates the economic self-sufficiency of the deaf, their social organizations, and the discriminatory laws that historically treated them as dependents. He critically evaluates popular conceptions that viewed the deaf as a strange, defective, or unhappy class, advocating for a shift in societal regard. The second section details the history and evolution of deaf education in the United States, tracing the transition from early private efforts to the establishment of state-funded institutions like Gallaudet College. Best provides a critical analysis of the pedagogical debates surrounding the 'oral' versus 'manual' methods of instruction and compares the merits of residential schools against day schools. A significant portion of the text is dedicated to the legal and constitutional status of these schools, debating whether they should be classified as educational or charitable institutions. Best concludes that the state's primary duty is to provide free, adequate education; thereafter, the deaf should be expected to function as independent members of society. Ultimately, the book stands as both a historical record and a plea for the full integration and civic recognition of the deaf in American life.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Education
• Deafness