Heróis/Heroínas Surdos/as Brasileiros/as: busca de significados na comunidade surda gaúcha.

Abstract

This thesis, entitled Deaf Brazilian Heroes: search for meanings in the gaúcho deaf community, began with a research problem that is outlined by the quest for understanding how anonymous - and some more known – deaf persons became heroes to their community through deeds that were perpetuated or remain for a significant amount of time in history. Thus, I traced the general objective of the research: understand the deaf hero representations, their meanings and effects in the stories of individuals and deaf communities in Rio Grande do Sul. In this sense, the thesis deals with the representations of the gaúcho deaf community about deaf heroism using the focus group methodology, conducted in deaf associations in the cities of Porto Alegre and Pelotas. The theoretical framework used to support the data production in the focus groups, the construction of the analysis of representations, historical contexts and records of the deaf culture depart from the perspectives of Cultural Studies and Deaf Studies. The data produced by the research showed that are remembered as deaf heroes institutions or individuals who fought and/or gave visibility to sign language, identified by the deaf community for pioneering, leadership and empowerment of deaf people in society. With the development of the research, it’s highlighted the importance of the historical record of the achievements of the people and institutions, which develop articulations in the construction of meanings about deaf heroism. The signs, the stories told address representation of heroism by identifying protagonists who contributed to the construction of the deaf community and the continuation of the history.