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Dr. Jennifer Rayman

Titles, courses, and research interests

Coordinator - American Sign Language/Deaf Studies Program.

Specialty Areas: American Sign Language, Deaf Community and Culture; Sign Language Storytelling, Performance and Poetry; Qualitative Research Methods.

Teaching:
EDS 151 American Sign Language 1
EDS 152 American Sign Language 2
EDS 153 American Sign Language 3
EDS 160 Introduction to Deaf Studies
EDS 163 American Sign Language Literature & Performance
EDS 165 Seminar Current Issues in the Deaf World: "Talking Culture: Representations of Deaf People in the Media"

Research Interests:
The importance of place in the modern world, the study of language practices and power relations, as well as the role of storytelling and performance in the maintenance and circulation of culture.

In 1988, while taking her first classes in American Sign Language, Jennifer became intrigued with notions of culture, identity and language. These interests persist to this day. Early in her career, while finishing two degrees from the University of Arizona, she worked part time as an American Sign Language interpreter. From there she went on to study in the Department of Communication at the University of California, San Diego under the supervision of Dr. Carol Padden. In 2004, she completed her Ph.D. thesis entitled “Instabilities of Place and Visions of Equality: The Case of a Deaf Congregation in Los Angeles.” In her thesis she examines key issues surrounding the use of place in a changing, more diverse and globalised world.

Publications:
Rayman, Jennifer. (2007) Visions of Equality: Translating Power in a Deaf Sermonette. The Sign Language Translator & Interpreter (1:1) pp. 73-114.

Rayman, Jennifer. (2003). A book review of Language in Hand: Why sign came before speech? By William Stokoe, Jr. Deafness and Education international (6) 1: pp52-53. ISBN 1464-3154.

Padden, Carol and Rayman, Jennifer. (2002) Concluding Thoughts: The future of American Sign Language. In The study of Signed Languages: Essays in honor of William C. Stokoe. Edited by John Vickrey Van Cleve, David F. Armstrong and Michael A. Karchmer. (pp. 247-261) Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.

Rayman, Jennifer. (1999) Storytelling in the visual mode: A comparison of ASL and English. In Storytelling and Conversation: Discourse in Deaf communities. Edited by Elizabeth Winston. (pp.59-82) Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.