Memory, identity and reading apprenticeship: narratives about the trajectory of the deaf reader subject’s constitution

Abstract

This article discusses the constitution of the deaf reader, member of a linguistic community historically placed on the margins of the literate system, guided by the notions of memory, identity and reading apprenticeship. The aim of this research is to understand, through reports of three deaf individuals experienced in reading, what the journey of reading apprenticeship was like, assuming a narrative perspective that focuses on the construction of the deaf reader. Methodologically, this narrative research of qualitative approach, in an interpretive perspective, is classified as a bibliographic and field study. With the research participants - three pre-lingual deaf subjects who hold a doctoral degree - we conducted narrative interviews (Jovchelovitch; Bauer, 2002, pp. 90-113) in Libras (Brazilian Sign Language), by video, which were later translated into written Portuguese for analysis. The results indicate two points in the narratives related to memory, identity affirmation, the use of Libras and subjectivity: i) reading apprenticeship practices developed inside and outside school and ii) epiphanic events, which made the interviewees awaken their interest in reading apprenticeship. The constitution of the reading subject, based on the narratives, therefore, takes place embodied in the individuals stories, who narrate, encompassing cognitive, cultural, and social issues.