This study aims to examine the disability identity of elderly people with disability who are faced with double jeopardy of 'disability' and 'ageing'. Specifically, it analyzed seniors with deafness and their rights to self-determination beyond 'sepa... This study aims to examine the disability identity of elderly people with disability who are faced with double jeopardy of 'disability' and 'ageing'. Specifically, it analyzed seniors with deafness and their rights to self-determination beyond 'separation' and 'integration'. Through in-depth analysis of deaf seniors' decisions between separated care at facilities and integrated care at home, this study investigated what it means to have and exercise a right to make their own decisions in establishing the disability identity. To do this, this research employed a phenomenological method which is useful in understanding deaf seniors' self-determination rights beyond separated facility care and integrated home care. The purpose of this study is to help devise more user-oriented welfare policies focused on self-determination rights for increasing elderly population with deafness rather than giving them a choice of either care in separation or care in integration. In this sense, this research asked a question of "what do the rights to make their own decisions beyond 'separation' and 'integration' mean for deaf seniors in developing their disability identity?". The analysis was based on Giorgi's psychological phenomenological methods and engaged 5 seniors with deafness as participants. Data for the analysis was collected through individual interviews from November, 2015 to April, 2016. To ensure sufficient data, additional interviews were carried out and participants' interview records and daily activity s were also reviewed with the consent of participants and facilities. A 50-to-90-minute long Interview took place 2 or 3 times, with attendance of a sign language interpreter. The interviews continued until the common subcategories were identified and sufficient explanation for categories was given among participants' accounts. The analysis was based on the 4 steps of Giorgi's psychological phenomenological methods, and yielded 48 meaning units, 12 subcategories, and 4 categories. Through this process, the nature and characteristics of disability identity of deaf seniors were described. The analysis findings are as follows. First, it was found that participants' responses that described their life consisted of 48 meaning units, 12 subcategories, and 4 categories. The 4 categories were 'rejection of integration (home care)', 'comfort of separation (facility care)', 'frustration of separation (facility care)', and 'longings for integration (home care)'. It indicated that under the integrated home care situation, deaf seniors feel 'self-denial from community', 'denial from family', 'difficult communication due to in-proficient sign language abilities' and 'social exclusion due to hearing disabilities', and these negative meanings led them to switch to separated facility care. The participants of separated care facilities were found to feel 'empathy for peers', 'home-like atmosphere', 'comfortable daily activities and surroundings with proficient sign language abilities' and 'free from economic concerns in facilities'. At the same time, they expressed some negative emotions such as 'inconvenience from facility employees' in-proficient sign language abilities' and 'lack of privacy', but this did not seem to be the extent of feeling dissatisfied. Rather, it was slight frustration or a feeling of more to be desired. The participants also showed feelings for their previous home-care experience such as 'longings for family' and 'longing for interaction with community'. Second, the disability identity of deaf seniors is not only limited to either residents of separated facility care or those of integrated home care, but is greatly affected by 'sign language' as a communication tool for self-decision and 'Deaf Identity' from the 'deaf culture'. In other words, sigh language and deaf culture play a role of getting deaf elderly people together. Specifically, sign language, as an empowering communication tool, enables deaf seniors to exercise a right to make their own decisions beyond 'separation' and 'integration', and by doing so, they share common deaf culture. Implications and policy suggestions based on research findings are as follows. This study is unprecedented as it mainly focused on disability identity of the elderly with deafness. While previous studies on seniors with disability centered on limited aspects of quality and satisfaction of life, this study examined main characteristics of disability identity of minority deaf seniors through in-depth discussion on 'Deaf Culture'. In terms of perception change from integration to inclusion, the perception of social integration, a widely accepted norm in welfare for the disabled, should be critically assessed and replaced by social inclusion. It is because that for deaf seniors to lead an inclusive life with other people without social exclusion and discrimination, various types of welfare systems should be developed through changes in social perceptions. Follows are some policy suggestions based on the discussion. First, social perception changes on the elderly with deafness and a new paradigm for it are necessary. For deaf seniors to be included in society, it is the most important to create social perception that is open and willing to accept deaf elderly people. More attention should be given to minority population with disability and ageing and then the improvement of welfare service system for the disabled and seniors will follow. In particular, with a trend of more people opting out of facilities, a new paradigm of self-reliance has become important. However, specific policies to realize this paradigm has not yet been implemented. Thus, social perception of exclusion and self-reliance have more to do with how to define social problems and seek solutions to them. In other words, a comprehensive and multifaceted approach to social problems is needed. Also, emphasis should be placed on social structural obstacles and suppression mechanism as well as on how they are realized and can be tackled. On top of that, it is necessary to devise more fundamental and comprehensive solutions based on basic rights of citizens rather than simply providing welfare services. Second, the environment for self-reliant deaf seniors should be improved. According to the research, deaf elderly people tend to show negative feelings about their situation at integrated home care, and thus, switched to separated facility care. Hence, the policy goals of enhancing welfare systems and promoting integrated home care for deaf seniors can only be realized by improving environments for self-reliance. In other words, overall change in society is needed for deaf seniors to exercise their right to self-determination. In particular, policies for the elderly and those for the disabled, that have been implemented separately, should be carried out in coordination. When reached to senior age, all elderly citizens become subject to senior policies regardless of disability. Thus, among policies for the disable, certain programs for disabled seniors can be implemented in coordination with policies for seniors. It is a measure to create an environment where seniors with disability can lead a normal life regardless of their disability, rather than addressing disability and ageing separately. Specific suggestions include improvement or expansion of welfare services for home care. To encourage integrated care at home, more various and customized community service should be established. In other words, the research findings that deaf seniors choose facility care despite a policy push for home care have significant implications. Keywords: the elderly with disability, deafness, disability identity, Deaf Culture, self-determination ，韩语论文，韩语论文题目 |
