An intimate account of an anthropologist’s relationship with his
non-verbal son and how it has shaped and transformed his understanding
of closeness and communication. Home Signs grew out of the
anthropologist Joshua Reno’s experience of caring for and trying to
communicate with his teenage son, Charlie, who cannot speak. To manage
interactions with others, Charlie uses what are known as “home
signs,” gestures developed to meet his need for expression, ranging
from the wiggle of a finger to a subtle sideways glance. Though he is
nonverbal, he is far from silent: in fact, he is in constant
communication with others. In this intimate reflection on language,
disability, and togetherness, the author invites us into his and
Charlie’s shared world. Combining portraits of family life and
interviews with other caregivers, Reno upends several assumptions,
especially the idea that people who seem not to be able to speak for
themselves need others to speak on their behalf. With its broad
exploration of nonverbal communication in both human and nonhuman
contexts, Home Signs challenges us to think harder about what it means
to lead a “normal” life and to connect with another person.
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Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9780226831251
Publisert
2024
Utgiver
Vendor
University of Chicago Press
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter