Religieuze en levensbeschouwelijke visies op de morele ontwikkeling van dove leerlingen, 1890-1940

Abstract

This study is focused on the ideas of morality in the general Christian school for deaf children, the H. D. Guyot Institute and the Protestant Institute Effatha in 1890-1940 in the Netherlands. These institutes are chosen because of their differences in signature. The Guyot Institute was inspired by the Enlightenment idea that Deaf are also rational individuals and therefore can be educated to become valuable citizens. Effatha arises in 1880 at a time when denominational schools wanted to be treated equally as public schools, and has a religious signature. The background for this study is formed by differing views on morality during the eighteenth en nineteenth century. The idea of moral education changed because of upcoming psychological views on development and cognitive development theories. Because of that and the fact that knowledge about moral development and deaf people is still in progress this subject was chosen. Method: Historical documents of the institutes will be analysed trough the Grounded Theory Method. Results: The results show that both institutes share some corresponding ideas on how to educate deaf children in virtues and vices. Both institutes also share the idea of educating the children into useful citizens. At the Guyot Institute religion was one of the conditions to derive into the highest goal of becoming a useful citizen. At Effatha becoming a good Christian was noted above anything else. Conclusion: The signature of the Institutes seems to have an influence on the idea of morality. More research is needed to generalize conclusions.