Evitar la censura: análisis pragmático

Abstract

Censure is a reaction to a message that threatens the ideology of the censor. In their study of Politeness, P. Brown and S. Levinson (1987) present a formula for calculating the weight of an act such as a threat on the face of the interlocutor. If we substitute ideology for face, the formula of this theory is useful for analyzing censure, and consequently, for setting out ways to avoid it. Three variables of the formula are considered: power, social distance, and rank. In the case of power, or control, limits of time, space, and ability to act are taken into account. Secondly, in the case of social distance, the censor’s awareness of the identity of the censured helps minimize the censorial action. Thirdly, censure can be avoided by diminishing the rank of the act that threatens the ideology of the censor. And finally, a fourth possibility is considered: avoiding punishment by avoiding responsibility for what is said.