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Title
CODA (Codas’ Role in Interpreting for Their Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Parents in Japan)
Size
160 pages, A5 format
Language
Japanese
Released
December 25, 2023
ISBN
9784760824526
Published by
Kaneko Shobo
Book Info
See Book Availability at Library
“CODA” is a term that describes hearing children of deaf adults, regardless of whether one or both parents are deaf or have any degree of deafness. CODA International defines these children as any child with a deaf or hard-of-hearing parent, regardless of the specifics.
This book focuses on interpreting the role that these children often assume for their deaf or hard-of-hearing parents. You may have heard of the term “young carers.” On the websites of Japan's Children and Families Agency and the Japan Carer Alliance, young carers are described as children who handle household chores such as shopping, cooking, and cleaning in place of family members with disability or illness. Similarly, interpreting a deaf or hard-of-hearing parent is recognized as a form of caregiving. While not every Coda is a young carer, some assume responsibilities that are typically reserved for adults. Given the growing awareness of young carers and the broader societal conversation surrounding them, I felt a need for a resource specifically addressing Codas who serve as interpreters. This book was written with this purpose in mind.
By deeply exploring the emotional turbulence and dynamics of parent-child relationships, this book offers a comprehensive analysis of what Codas and their parents may experience. The interpreting role often varies, as do the relationships between Codas and their parents, and these diverse experiences have been examined and explained scientifically. I aim to make the content accessible to scholars, high school students, and the general public.
Through this book, I want to convey a few facts to society. For example, consider situations in which communication breaks down between hearing individuals and deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals. This book does not posit that there are "hearing people who have no trouble communicating" and "deaf or hard-of-hearing people who do struggle," but rather, it views communication breakdowns as a phenomenon that arises between the hearing majority, who communicate using spoken language, and the deaf or hard-of-hearing minority, for whom this spoken language is not as effective. In other words, this perspective frames communication issues between hearing and deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals as societal challenges rather than personal problems.
This perspective clarifies that a society in which only Codas and their families strive to bridge these communication gaps remains insufficient. I believe that sharing this understanding with others can help alleviate the challenges faced by Codas. I hope this book serves as a catalyst for deepening society’s understanding of “disability.”
This book narrates stories of Codas. I hope you will find the exploration of these unique individuals' experiences insightful.
(Written by NAKATSU Mami, Project Research Associate, Center for Coproduction of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity / 2024)
Table of Contents
Preface: Before You Read This Book
Chapter 1: Who are Codas?
1. Definition of Codas
2. Population of Codas
3. Origin of the Term “CODA”
4. How Do Codas Perceive the World: Hearing and Deaf
5. What It Means to be Named “CODA”
Chapter 2: Conversations between Codas and Their Parents
1. How Codas Communicate with Their Parents
2. How Much Do Codas Understand the Conversations?
Chapter 3: The Caregiving Role of Codas as Interpreters
1. Type of Interpretation that Codas Participate in
2. Reality of Interpretation During the Adolescent Years
3. Role of Interpretation
Chapter 4: Ever-Changing Emotions that Codas and Their Parents Experience
Section 1: Codas’ Emotions: Childhood, Adolescence, and Adulthood
1. Interviews with Codas
2. What Did Codas Feel in Childhood?
3. What Did Codas Feel in Adolescence?
4. What Do Codas Feel in Adulthood?
Section 2: Parents’ Emotions: Codas in Childhood, Adolescence, and Adulthood
1. Interviews with Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Parents
2. What Parents Felt During Their Child’s Childhood/Adolescence
3. What Parents Feel When Their Child Becomes an Adult
Section 3: Codas Who Grow up Admiring Their Parents
1. Codas Who Admire Their Parents
2. Hurtful Things That Have Been Said to Codas
Section 4: Codas Who are Reluctant to Accept Their Parents
1. When Did Codas Finally Accept Their Parents
2. Why Does it Take Longer for Some to Accept Their Parents?
3. Codas Who are Reluctant to Accept Their Parents
Chapter 5: Codas Who Carry a Sense of Protection Toward Their Parents
Parents Who Develop a Sense of Dependence on Their Children
Section 1: How Codas Form a Sense of Protection toward Their Parents
1. Has the Sense of Protection Always Existed?
2. Two Types of Sentiments that Codas Develop in Adolescent Years to Protect Their Parents
3. Three Psychological States Experienced by Codas
4. What Forms a Sense of Protection Toward Their Parents?
5. Three Pointers for Encouraging a Healthy Parent-Child Relationship
Section 2: How Parents Form a Sense of Dependence on Their Children
1. Do Parents Really Depend on Their Hearing Child?
2. A Sense of Dependency that the Parents Develop on Their Child
3. Two Psychological States of Parents
4. What Forms a Sense of Dependency on Their Child?
Chapter 6: Variations in Parent-Child Relationships
1. Three Types of Parent-Child Relationships with CODA During the Adolescent Years
2. What Are the Three Types of Relationships?
3. Factors Influencing the Relationships
4. Overview of These Relationships
5. Are Codas Who Experience Parent-Child Role Reversal Considered “Young Carers”?
6. Instability of Parent-Child Relationships
Chapter 7: For the Healthy Development of Codas
Section 1: A Message to Those Who May Encounter Codas
1. To Reduce the Burden of Interpreting on Codas
2. How to Shift the Perspective on “Deafness”
3. When You Meet a Coda
Section 2: A Message to Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Parents
1. Reassessing the Role of Codas as Interpreters
2. Moving Forward Positively with Codas
Section 3: A Message to Codas
1. Self-Reflection
2. Understanding the Deaf Community
3. Getting to Know Other Codas
4. Realizing that There Are Things Only Codas Can Do
