A tentative exploration of the character of pediatric cochlear implant critique

Deaf communities have resisted pediatric cochlear implants in many western countries since the introduction of the technique in the late 1970's. In this struggle they have been supported by quite a few scientists from a diverse, albeit social scientific background. The arguments of the latter have been the source of much misapprehension. In this paper we will explore this misapprehension by structurally probing for implicit conceptualisations of benefit and legitimation procedures in the discourse of proponents and opponents alike.