Maria Malofeeva gave a lecture at GES-2
On December 10, Maria Malofeeva, a postgraduate student and research intern at the International Laboratory for Social Integration Research, spoke at the GES-2 Community Center as part of a series of lectures from the ongoing "Deaf and Voiced" program of the "Exploring the Deaf Community" and "Sign Language Lovers Club" projects.
The GES-2 Community Center has launched a permanent program, "Deaf and Voiced," for deaf and hard-of-hearing, hearing, and CODA students interested in deaf culture. A lecture series (fall 2025 - summer 2026) is being held as part of the "Exploring the Deaf Community" and "Sign Language Lovers Club" projects. One of the lectures was given by Maria Malofeeva, a postgraduate student at the Higher School of Economics and a research intern at the International Laboratory for Social Integration Research.
Maria's lecture, "Socialization and Stigmatization Experiences of Hearing Children of Deaf Parents," was based on an article from the almanac "Exploring the Deaf Community: 1." The lecture focused on the identity of a hearing child in a deaf family. The event was held in Russian with translation into Russian Sign Language (RSL).
Hearing children of deaf parents (CODA, children of deaf adults) live in two cultures, which creates a unique environment for their interactions within families during their initial socialization, simultaneously complicating it and enriching the experience. Maria's interview-based research identified key socialization challenges, including early adolescence and the assumption of adult responsibilities, a lack of vocal communication within the family, irrelevant socialization experiences of deaf parents, and a lack of communication between parents and teachers.
During her lecture, Maria emphasized that for CODA, parents serve as "significant others" and role models, whose behavior and attitudes toward deafness and deaf culture lay the foundation for the child's perception of their own and their parents' social statuses.
Many aspects of socialization also shape CODA's future career choices. One such mechanism is the second career choice, "CODA as a returnee." This involves returning to professions related to the deaf community (eg, interpreter of Russian Sign Language, lawyer for the deaf), and mediating the worlds of hearing and deaf people.
The lecture attendees supported the idea of the significant role of CODA and provided additional examples of their career choices that contribute to the integration of the deaf and hearing communities. The discussion addressed the influence of CODA socialization on their future life choices, not only in careers, as well as differences in CODA socialization in relation to urban factors—between large and small cities.
Nikita Bolshakov
Leading Research Fellow
Maria Malofeeva
Research Assistant