Abstract A paper which explains how the American Congress has interpreted the First Amendment when deciding on levels of censorship. The paper explores the different issues of what is and what is not defined as freedom of speech. Examples of what is not covered by the First Amendment may be obscenity, "fighting words" and incitement. The paper also discusses how, with the growth of the Internet, the laws should grow with technology and adapt themselves accordingly.
From the Paper "An area which is not yet completely clear is the subject of Commercial Speech. Deceptive commercial speech can be banned by government, but further regulation of corporations must be taken on a case by case basis. The government can also control speech that is intended and likely to incite lawless action. This also applies in a situation where the speech poses a clear and present danger to the nations security. This is known as "incitement" and was decided in the case of Brandenburg v. Ohio."
Abstract This essay examines the nature of a patriarchal society while questioning the role pornography plays in maintaining such a society. The basic sociological and gender studies concepts of patriarchal society and the nature of the same are examined, including the treatment and position of women in such a society. For and against arguments pertaining to the nature of pornography and its psychological effects on individuals are examined, exploring the exact way in which pornography reproduces patriarchal attitudes for both men and women. Included as part of this, quotes from pornographic material are featured, as well as quotes from men who have internalised the messages of pornography and become rapists. The tone of the essay leans toward censorship as a possible, although minimal, answer in decreasing patriarchal attitudes toward women.
From the Paper "Pornography is one of those controversial issues which appear to drive most people to extremes of opinion. Anti-censorship campaigners and anti-pornography campaigners coexist across many movements worldwide ? political, religious, media ? and all appear to have an investment in the continuation or eradication of pornographic material. However, perhaps the most interesting instance of conflicting stances existing within one movement can be found in feminism. Anti-pornography campaigners within feminism fight for the censorship of pornography, believing it to increase the acceptance of patriarchy, and thus, female oppression within society. Surprisingly, anti-censorship campaigners believe that the censorship of pornography will not overcome the structures within society that reinforce oppressive attitudes toward women. I would disagree, and argue that although such structures ? law, language, religion, philosophy ? are inherently oppressive of women, the oppression of women cannot be solely located in such structures. Forces which oppress women are everywhere, but they are no where; the oppressors are everyone, yet no one in particular. In this way, every representation which reinforces patriarchal attitudes, every representation which depicts women as objects, as subordinate, dependent or deviant, further serves to enforce female oppression. Quotes similar to those reproduced above should force us to re-evaluate the extent to which cultural expressions influence societal perception and behaviour. This essay will examine the way in which pornography operates to reinforce patriarchal attitudes which subsequently marginalise women."
Tags:anti, men, misogyny, patriarchy, pornography, rape, women
Abstract This paper discusses the good and bad sides of censorship and points out the need for a balance. The paper focuses on three types of censorship: military censorship, censorship of pornography and violence, and ideological censorship. The paper contains an annotated bibliography.
From the Paper "The concept of censorship is relatively simple: material that is harmful to people in some way should not be allowed to circulate where they can see, hear or be influenced by it. Material that incites people to commit acts of violence..."
Abstract The topic of censorship is usually applied to less-developed countries, but it is crucial to remember that censorship is found in varying aspects in all countries. This paper addresses England as a country that promotes censorship as both a mechanism for civil defense and a means of ensuring the welfare of their citizens.
Abstract The focus of this paper is to discuss the censorship of a Newberry Medal children's book, "The Highest Power of Lucky," by Susan Patron. More specifically, the writer questions whether the word "scrotum" should cause a Newberry Medal children's book to be banned from libraries. The writer also discusses whether librarians have the right to ban a book because it has a word or phrase that relates to sex. The writer maintains that the censorship of books is wrong, especially when the book is being banned due to one word or phrase.
Outline:
Looking at the Book, "The Highest Power of Lucy"
Why the Author Used the Word
Censoring Children's Books
Censorship Creating Problems with Educational Staff
The Problems with Censorship
From the Paper "Only at the end of the book does Lucky trust her guardian to ask the meaning of the word. Lucky is similar to many students today who have single parents in their lives. Lucky can also be compared to many latchkey children who fend for themselves while their parents are at work. Many of these children learn words and actions that are not appropriate, but it is a part of their every day life. Reading about Lucky will not reveal words that these children know anyway."
"When deciding to ban a book, the librarian should consider the purpose of the book. Why has the author created this book? What is the main purpose of the book? These questions should be considered before deciding whether the book is inappropriate. The themes of the book center on Lucky becoming a grown-up who needs to learn about language and body parts. If Lucky does not learn the meaning of words from her guardian, then more than likely she will learn about different words from her peers. Children will learn the definitions to different words whether they do it through parents, friends, or peers. Would it be better to learn different words from parents or peers?"
Abstract This is a persuasive paper that analyzes the proponents of censorship. In recent years, the American entertainment industry has undergone vast changes in aspects such as music, television and Internet, and what began as innocent entertainment is no longer. Censorship is emerging into the limelight once again, as children are immensely affected by what they see, and their intentions of repeating what they see makes censorship ever more important today. The amount of violence in all forms of entertainment must somehow be regulated or censored in some way to protect the innocent youth of today.
From the Paper "Please note the following: ?Where Them Ho's At;? ?Tits;? and ?Simple Instructions for Assembling a Bomb with Household Materials.? The title of a song, a word used in a TV drama, and something easily accessible from the Internet. What might these three things have in common? They are all salient factors in the corruption of today's youth. These are not the types of programs and songs our country's future leaders should have access to. "Entertainment" such as this has been proven to cause aggression in young children, causing them to be more prone to use violence to settle disputes. It also exposes children to adult situations they are not yet suited to understand, which in turn confuses them. More stringent laws must be passed for the sake of our nation's impressionable, innocent young children."
Based on the premise that the media dictates our body images, this paper asserts that the judicious use of censorship could help combat eating disorders.
It is a simple fact that 15-year old, rail-thin girls are modeling clothes targeted at the 20-35
900 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 2 sources, 2002, $ 35.95
Abstract There is a clear and identifiable link of causation between the media and the engaging in self-destructive behaviors by consumers that could be easily broken with judicious use of censorship. Overwhelmingly, research demonstrates that there are direct links between images seen on television and in magazines and perceptions of the self among consumers of those images. It is the purpose of this paper to demonstrate that through a conscientious censorship effort we can effectively end the epidemic of body image and related eating-disorder problems that has been wracking our culture for generations.
This paper illustrates the effects of censorship in the film industry as depicted in the documentary film "Hollywood Censored: Movies, Morality and the Production Code."
Abstract This paper focuses on the documentary "Hollywood Censored: Movies, Morality and the Production Code" which illustrates the effects of censorship in the film industry. This paper examines the religious condemnation, societal expectations and financial insecurity that have plagued Hollywood and the film industry since the early 1900s. This paper discusses the profound effect the Catholic church had on Hollywood. The Legion of Decency was created in order to clean up to films that were being shown to society. The hold of the Catholic church in the major cities was massive and as long as Hollywood produced films the religious authorities felt were morally harmful to society, priests and parishioners would continue to ban films. The writer also examines the events that led up to the film industry being granted 1st amendment protection in 1952, in which films were finally viewed as an art form.
From the Paper "In 1952 movies were granted First Amendment protection and films were finally seen as an art form. This came about after the studios were deemed monopolies and forced to give up their movie palaces. Theaters were now free to show any type of film they pleased and were not held liable to the production code. This allowed directors and producers a freedom they had not seen in many years. Breen's theories and strict regulations became obsolete. The control Hollywood and the courts had given him had been relinquished. As the freedom of the theaters grew, the power of the production code fell and in 1962 the production code was officially done away with and replaced with the ratings systems we now have. One producer in the documentary quotes Robert Graves by saying that "It's impossible for any artist not to be a part of his society even if he is against it" (Hollywood). Simply put, this means that as an artist, producer or director, it would be impossible, whether intended or not, to not mirror the society from which the art was created."
Tags: film, hollywood, industry, monopoly, censorship, religion, catholic, church
Abstract This paper takes a look at the concept of freedom of speech and the history of free speech and censorship in the USA. According to this paper, the American public also need to understand that if there is not equal protection for the rights of everyone then society will never truly be free. This paper questions that perhaps the answer exists in learning from a multitude of voices about both the subjects that inspire us and the subjects that remind us of the type of people that Americans will never want to be.
From the Paper "America is considered the freest society in the world. Here people are free to make choices about their lives that deal with education, shelter, political affiliations, and government support. This free choice often leads Americans to believe that they have the largest voice of any citizenry, and a constitution that will support their ability to be heard. Yet, within the country there are issues of free speech and censorship that continue to be debated in the judicial system, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Supreme Court of the United States. Therefore, although the country has made great strides in defining what is considered free speech and what is illegal censorship throughout the decades, it is apparent that this concern will always have a new focus of consideration because American citizens will never stop fighting for their freedoms."
Abstract The paper discusses the mass proliferation of information on the Internet and highlights the issue of ownership, accuracy and privacy. The paper relates that the supporters of censorship argue that it is in the best interest of the public to protect them from deceitful or harmful information, however the central argument made in this investigation is that the Internet should not be censored. The paper considers these issues and provides a balanced overview.
Outline:
Introduction
Literature Review
Synthesis of the Data
Conclusion
From the Paper "Although support for internet censorship demonstrates a clear need to protect users from questionable and offensive content, Kreimer (2006) reports that the decision to implement internet censorship will serve as a slippery slope for the degradation of the freedom of speech. As reported by this author, supporters of internet censorship have argued that this process is necessary to protect individuals from harm. However, Kreimer argues that when making these claims, scholars do not provide any justification for what content should be censored and by whom. As the realm of "questionable" contend expands, internet users will witness a reduction in their ability to access information and to share information. Over the long-term, Kreimer asserts, this will erode basic free speech rights."
Abstract This essay argues that Ernest Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises" is anti-Semitic in terms of its treatment of the character Robert Cohn. Cohn is painted in a negative light and none of the characters like him. Cohn is the anti-hero, yet he has Jewishness intentionally imposed upon him. In this respect, "The Sun Also Rises" involves anti-Semitism.
Abstract The following assignment is for a third year sociology course. The topic discussed is collective social behaviour. The collective social behavior examined in this assignment is anti-war demonstrations. The writer uses social contagion theory and emergent norm theory in order to examine the nature of anti-war demonstrations.
From the Paper "Collective behavior is a very broad area of study. For example, in Collective Behavior Erich Goode states, 'Rumors and legends, fads, and collective protest- these and other social phenomena make up the subject matter of the field of collective Behavior'. Collective behavior is the relatively spontaneous, unstructured, extra institutional behavior of a fairly large number of individuals. The fact that collective behavior is such a diverse area of study means that many activities can be used to examine it. For this paper, demonstrations against the war in Iraq or anti-war demonstrations as they are commonly called will be used to examine many of the theories about collective behavior."
Abstract This paper summarizes the debate between the Federalists and Anti-federalists of the constitutional congress. It suggests some ongoing problems in American public life which demonstrate the main issues which drove that debate, far from being resolved during the constitution's ratification, continue to resonate in current events. This paper discusses the Ratification Debate and the major issues which drove the debate between the Federalists and the Anti-federalists: Distribution of power, protection of rights, limitations of institutions and the ongoing Relevance.
From the Paper "In the last few days of September in 1787, the Confederation Congress met to debate and construct a new Constitution of the United States. The document they wrote and sent for ratification to the thirteen states that made up the newly-formed country was intended to replace the Articles of Confederation that had ordered the nation since its inception. The nation was reaching a crisis point, as the experiment had been going poorly. Surprisingly, perhaps, the problem was not one of the many possible economic problems that new nations are likely to experience when reconstructing after a long and difficult war. As Gordon Wood (1969) argues, the general economy was running well and people felt comfortable and even prosperous (p. 395). Rather, the concerns that brought the nation's leading politicians together were primarily political. "
Abstract This paper discusses how in terms of ideologies, actions, and goals that exist, or should exist in order for the anti-globalization movement to develop into a successful global social movement, there is general agreement that there must be a greater emphasis on social and political issues such as gender equality, and economic issues such as product music and entertainment product copyright protection. The paper further discusses that these are only two of a multitude of important issues that need to be addressed, but they reflect the anti-globalization movement's fundamental goal of protecting the social, political, and economic rights of individuals, groups, and societies as globalization expands. For example, globalization has presented many challenges and opportunities for the transnational women's movement.
