USES OF CENSORSHIP BY A DOMINANT CULTURE TO SUPPRESS MINORITY VOICES
Every society has some degree of censorship.
It prevents people from learning about different experiences and new ideas.
It prevents change.
Government censors can make people afraid to express their personal ideas or to support certain opinions. They are afraid of losing their jobs, their position in society and their credibility.
They even fear losing their lives.
No individual or group should have that much control and power.
Censorship has been described as "suppression of speech or symbolic expression for its message."
"CENSORSHIP can cause an imbalance between rich and poor, strong and weak, men and women, humans and other species."
CENSORSHIP
It stifles what we hear, say and see
Gender, race and religion are the most prevalent groups in history that have been affected by censorship. In the US, many of these minority groups have made progress by fighting for equality and today their voices are heard. However, in today’s modern world we now find censors challenging things due to sexual content, language or sexual preferences.
The main reason for censoring is to block out content that is said to be immoral or questionable, outside of the normal, common beliefs of the society. As far back as the 19th century women were the minority group that was silenced in America. They could not publish their work, simply because of their gender. Literature like Huckleberry Finn banned by white censor groups because used the “N” word repeatedly, work by Malcom X , banned because censors claimed it to be “forcing equality.”
Today this type of suppression continues in many areas around the world by governments that want to hide information so they can enforce rules and beliefs to their citizens. They believe they know what is right and what is best for their people. Countries like China want to remain in control of their people and prevent ideas and information from getting to their people. They ban subjects, some printed materials, types of media, text and instant messaging. News broadcasts often have portions that the government has deemed inappropriate are “blacked out.” The Iranian government also limits information that it allows its citizens to have access to. Things like woman’s rights and democracy are blocked.
When a writer wants his views to be known in the world, censorship can be a huge issue if they write about politics or religion. Dominant cultures that do not want the voice of one to be heard and spread are particularly watchful of political and religious material. It threatens the power that dominant cultures thrive on.