This thesis presents an argument that residential schooling for deaf students produces the socio-economic marginalized status of deaf adults. Chapter One introduces Weberian analysis of stratification by class, status and party groups and the concept of 'total institution' from Goffman. Chapter Two suggests that the deaf can be considered a socio-economic status group due to their common experiences in economic, socio-political and cultural relations. The relation of their status to wider society is considered in Chapter Three which describes the status of the deaf as marginalized in economic, social and cultural terms. Chapter Four goes on to suggest that the process of marginalization is carried out by the social control of language, the dominance of oralism and vocationalism in the schools. The process of marginalization is examined by using a case study of the Ontario School for the Deaf in Chapter Five. The thesis concludes by suggesting that the power evident in the residential school should be harnessed to improve the status of the deaf especially by involving deaf people in the education process.