Social Identity Issues in Children with Hearing Impairment during Transition from Secondary to Higher Secondary Level in Punjab

Objective: Hearing Impaired students studying in the institutes of the special education Department Punjab at secondary to higher secondary level face problems regarding making choices of which field to choose or which area of work would be suitable to them. Among many issues which hinder students in making these decisions, social identity issues are the prime factor. The problem under research here relates to the sub-theories of social identity theory, namely, social influence, group norms, self enhancement, uncertainty reduction and motivation.Methodology: Population of the study was children with hearing impairment at higher secondary level in special education institutes. Sample of 100 hearing impaired students was taken randomly from the Govt Special Education Institutes of Punjab of which 59 were male and 41 were females. Findings: Social identity in terms of linguistic differences of the bilingual deaf culture arising in the institutes of Punjab is important and ignored factor.Implications: Study is useful for teachers and parents to resolve the linguistic problems in students with hearing impairment. Moreover, other organizations can formulate a strategy to address issues related to career counseling and government can work on standardization and recognition of Sign language in Pakistan as a unique and independent language.