The Struggle to Fit in: A Qualitative Study on the Sense of Belonging and Well-being of Deaf People in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia

The sense of belonging plays an important role in a person's well-being. It also acts as a protective factor against mental distress. Deaf people struggle to fit into the dominant hearing society due to communication barriers. The multi-languages used in Malaysian families add to this communication challenge. Communication breakdown leaves the deaf person socially excluded while a poor sense of belonging also increases their vulnerability to mental health issues. Hence, this study explored the deaf person's sense of belonging and well-being through their social experiences in Malaysia. Baumeister's need-to-belong theory served as the theoretical framework of this study. An Ethnographic approach with in-depth interviews and participant observation was used to explore the social experiences of six Chinese deaf adults, aged 20-37, residing in Ipoh. Their hearing parents were interviewed as well to obtain parents' perspective of the child's well-being in the earlier years. Participants were selected using the purposive and snowballing sampling method. Upon data saturation, thematic analysis was used to identify themes, patterns, and interpret its meanings. The main themes that emerged from the data was the "struggle to fit in", "emotional effect", and "quality social connections". Findings of this study can be used in the formation of policies and strategies to ensure that deaf individuals are not excluded from their communities. Cultivating an inclusive community and developing the deaf community offers a better sense of belonging, which would help increase well-being of deaf people. Future research may focus on deaf identity and well-being of deaf youth in Malaysia.