Language And Political Participation: Alternative Language's Positive Correlation To Political And Democratic Processes In The United States

Abstract

With this study, I aspire to further evaluate how alternatives to "standard English" within the majority of political process platforms, specifically taboo, explicit, profane, and obscene language, lead to fewer inhibitors when exercising political participation in the United States. This is seen through the suppression of such expressions of profane speech in contract to the "standard English" used in political processes. An introspection into how freedom of speech is inhibited through real-world examples is illuminated. The ways in which the United States political processes are set up to suppress such alternative linguistic choices and the needs of the constituents to participate to a more free and equitable extent are also consequently shown. This research provides a more in-depth analysis into the ever-growing spectacle on US oppressive behaviors and tactics employed to discourage variants of language choices amongst constituents despite having the freedom to one's own speech that are continuously being overextended to attempt to encompass both language choices and needs. This is done through analyzing the relationship between political/democratic participation and language choices and needs, specifically looking at profane language in comparison to the accepted and socially preferred "standard English." The evidence given within this text alludes to the theoretical explanation as to how profane language choices in the US democratic and political spheres are beneficial to participation.