Educação de surdos : uma análise do sistema combinado à partir dos estudos publicados na revista American Annals of Deaf (1880 a 1900)

Abstract

The education of deaf individuals, especially in the 19th century, was at the center of methodological disputes marked by tensions between approaches that prioritized oral articulation and those that incorporated sign language, whether combined with speech or not. One such model, the combined system advocated by Edward Miner Gallaudet (1837–1917) and other historical figures, was silenced at the 1880 Milan Congress, which declared pure oralism as the only acceptable method for the instruction of deaf people. This dissertation investigates the persistence and relevance of the combined system in publications from the journal American Annals of Deaf, between 1880 and 1900, through documentary analysis of texts found in 35 papers. The research is grounded in Foucauldian principles of historical inquiry, treating documents as monuments. The findings demonstrate an intense body of scientific production in defense of methodological diversity, with strong criticism of the exclusion of sign language and the imposition of pure oralism. The analysis demonstrates that the combined system not only resisted institutional silencing but also emerged as a pedagogical alternative sensitive to the needs of the deaf community. This study contributes to a critical reexamination of hegemonic narratives on deaf education and promotes the appreciation of alternative methods within the educational field of deaf subjects