Amor surdo: realidade cultural?: o papel da Língua Gestual Portuguesa e da cultura surda no comportamento afectivo de 10 jovens surdos

Deaf culture, a notion that refers to the way in which members of Deaf linguistic minorities view themselves and the world, is a recent concept in the international scientific community. In Portugal deafness is still widely seen merely in its biological dimension, through a pathological conception based on the absence or decrease of the sense of hearing. This does not relate do the way Deaf people see themselves. This study presents the Deaf person as an individual who conceives of himself as experiencing a positive existence, one with a language and culture which are separate from the majority’s. Love is responsible for weaving affective ties between human beings, building relational networks that become the cultural and social fabric in which we all live. This qualitative study analyses the role of Portuguese Sign Language (LGP) and Deaf culture play in the offset of love relationships that occur in the lives of 10 Deaf young informants, and their views on friendship and romantic love. Data was collected by means of questionnaires applied to the participants. Results reveal that they believe that, when choosing potential friends or romantic partners, an open attitude towards diversity, showing respect for Deaf culture, its values and its language is determinant.