Question

In Deaf culture, not maintaining eye contact during a conversation is considered ________.

Answer 1

In Deaf culture, not maintaining eye contact during a conversation is considered a sign of respect and attentiveness, rather than being disrespectful or disengaged.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Deaf culture, not maintaining eye contact during a conversation is considered a sign of respect and attentiveness, rather than being disrespectful or disengaged. This is because eye contact is not valued as highly in deaf culture as it is in hearing culture.

This cultural difference is due to the fact that in deaf culture, communication primarily relies on visual signs and gestures, such as American Sign Language (ASL). Since eye contact is not necessary for understanding and conveying meaning in ASL, deaf individuals may not place as much importance on eye contact during conversations.

For example, during a conversation between two deaf individuals using ASL, they may look at each other's faces or hands to follow the conversation, rather than maintaining direct eye contact.