New Article on Hearing Loss as a Rite of Passage

By Amanda Farah Cox

Graduations, marriages, and visits to the audiologist: We might not view them in the same light, but they are all milestones in our lives. These watershed occasions are the topic of Ida Institute Chief Anthropologist Hans Henrik Philipsen’s article, “Rite of Passage: An Alternative Approach to Rehabilitation,” in the latest issue of Audiology Today.

“I’m very excited about having an article with an ethnographic perspective accepted,” says Hans Henrik.  “This is something that we’ve been working with at Ida all along.”

In the article, Hans Henrik explores how a patient goes through the phases typical of a rite of passage – separation/detachment, liminal phase, and reintegration – as they learn about their hearing loss, decide to take action on it, and ultimately learn to live well with it. It requires recognizing a new reality and being caught in an in-between phase before adjusting to using hearing aids and techniques to help them cope in noisier settings, thus allowing them to return to being the person they see themselves as.

Hans Henrik frames the hearing care manager as a guide who helps the patient through these transitions. He compares them to Obi Wan Kenobi or Gandalf, figures who not only recognizing the significance of the change in the lives of those they are guiding, but also help them to smoothly navigate their new course.

“Based on the outcomes of our Hearing Care Manager and Tele-health Vision 2020 meetings, I can see that this perspective of alternative rehab is very relevant,” he says.

The article is in the March/April issues of Audiology Today. You can read it online in its entirety here.