I wouldn't call this "self-censorship" exactly. I would call it "living the unexamined life". That librarian lives his life unexamined. He doesn't see how he has power in a society and a traditional institution that values conformity and whiteness and he doesn't see how that worked against the woman he replaced. He lives his life unexamined and uses his power unintentionally in traditional ways that don't align with his perceived self that he wishes to be anti-racist.
Self censorship is when you don't post on Facebook or speak up in meetings where those who have power over you or who have the ability to push back or "punish" you for what you say, do, or think. It's the books that don't get written, the fights you don't choose, the roads not taken in favor of the boxes and categories we put ourselves in under the guise of "survival" in a world that doesn't truly value or care about us.
I think this is a nice way to look at it, but it may be too generous a reading on that librarian. That he said he could not identify as a "white man" because of its association with oppressors suggests to me that he is aware of his power in society and the benefits he receives from traditional institutions.
It's true that perhaps he lives an unexamined life, as you say, but at some point along the way he made that choice. He actually betrays his intention when he says he won't integrate "white man" into his identity. That choice allows his future self to avoid reckoning with the benefits and privileges he may be granted due to his identity's association with oppression. These benefits are actually confirmed later when he replaced a woman of color who had been pushed out of the very same position. If the librarian had chosen to truly integrate "white man" into his identity, he may have acted differently when the opportunity arose.
Your definition of self-censorship is accurate, but I think this could be treated as a both/and case. It can be both the definition you provided and extend to a long-term view that accounts for the small choices we make to remove our potential for the agency and intellect that empowers us to speak in the future.
Thank you Anita. Please post this on ALA Connect and IFRT Connect. ALA members need to discuss a much broader and deeper meaning of intellectual freedom as the ability for critical thinking and reasoning. We are facing both Orwell's 1984 and Huxley's Brave New World .
Thank you, Frieda! I totally appreciate your encouragement. I can definitely try to share on ALA Connect this week but I’m unsure about IFRT (one has to be a member to post there if I recall right and I’ve ALA & LHRT. I’ll double check. Please give me a day or two.
I think this is your most important post yet. We are being coralled into a massive, complex group-think that tells us who the algorithms in our silos want us to be. Maybe that's too extreme, but in relation to AI use by university students, I have been emphasizing that AI can very easily rob you of your education, defined as the ability to think freely and critically, with ever-increasing capacity to understand the world and navigate the information landscape with wisdom. Every use of AI that substitutes your thought for its easy explanations is a nail in the coffin of your development as an educated human. I also despair for the many who have been swallowed by weaponized messaging, leading them to acts of violence or merely ruining their lives and relationships. Brave New World indeed.
Thank you for your faithful work. 100% right on: "AI can very easily rob you of your education... nail in the coffin of your development as an educated human." Librarians jobs have been made tougher than ever.
Thank you, it’s a heavyweight but this is an important year too with noteworthy anniversaries like America’s 250th and 150th of the ALA (American Library Association).
Thank you for sharing. We're all guilty of future self-avoidance, especially when facing discomfort—like climate change, which is a common struggle for many of us (including me). Yes, framing the conversation around information health provides a stronger foundation than media literacy. This is adaptive infophilia theory in action: infophilia, our inherent love for information and connections, is an evolutionary drive that is still not only crucial but essential for both personal and societal flourishing. Although it has now been weaponized, we can still "adapt" to flourish! :)
I wouldn't call this "self-censorship" exactly. I would call it "living the unexamined life". That librarian lives his life unexamined. He doesn't see how he has power in a society and a traditional institution that values conformity and whiteness and he doesn't see how that worked against the woman he replaced. He lives his life unexamined and uses his power unintentionally in traditional ways that don't align with his perceived self that he wishes to be anti-racist.
Self censorship is when you don't post on Facebook or speak up in meetings where those who have power over you or who have the ability to push back or "punish" you for what you say, do, or think. It's the books that don't get written, the fights you don't choose, the roads not taken in favor of the boxes and categories we put ourselves in under the guise of "survival" in a world that doesn't truly value or care about us.
I think this is a nice way to look at it, but it may be too generous a reading on that librarian. That he said he could not identify as a "white man" because of its association with oppressors suggests to me that he is aware of his power in society and the benefits he receives from traditional institutions.
It's true that perhaps he lives an unexamined life, as you say, but at some point along the way he made that choice. He actually betrays his intention when he says he won't integrate "white man" into his identity. That choice allows his future self to avoid reckoning with the benefits and privileges he may be granted due to his identity's association with oppression. These benefits are actually confirmed later when he replaced a woman of color who had been pushed out of the very same position. If the librarian had chosen to truly integrate "white man" into his identity, he may have acted differently when the opportunity arose.
Your definition of self-censorship is accurate, but I think this could be treated as a both/and case. It can be both the definition you provided and extend to a long-term view that accounts for the small choices we make to remove our potential for the agency and intellect that empowers us to speak in the future.
Thank you Anita. Please post this on ALA Connect and IFRT Connect. ALA members need to discuss a much broader and deeper meaning of intellectual freedom as the ability for critical thinking and reasoning. We are facing both Orwell's 1984 and Huxley's Brave New World .
Posted on ALA Connect just now but wasn't able to join IFRT Connect or post there. Please feel free to share. Thank you.
Thank you, Frieda! I totally appreciate your encouragement. I can definitely try to share on ALA Connect this week but I’m unsure about IFRT (one has to be a member to post there if I recall right and I’ve ALA & LHRT. I’ll double check. Please give me a day or two.
I think this is your most important post yet. We are being coralled into a massive, complex group-think that tells us who the algorithms in our silos want us to be. Maybe that's too extreme, but in relation to AI use by university students, I have been emphasizing that AI can very easily rob you of your education, defined as the ability to think freely and critically, with ever-increasing capacity to understand the world and navigate the information landscape with wisdom. Every use of AI that substitutes your thought for its easy explanations is a nail in the coffin of your development as an educated human. I also despair for the many who have been swallowed by weaponized messaging, leading them to acts of violence or merely ruining their lives and relationships. Brave New World indeed.
Thank you for your faithful work. 100% right on: "AI can very easily rob you of your education... nail in the coffin of your development as an educated human." Librarians jobs have been made tougher than ever.
Thank you, it’s a heavyweight but this is an important year too with noteworthy anniversaries like America’s 250th and 150th of the ALA (American Library Association).
A lot to process here. I will likely be referencing it many times. Thank you very much.
Thank you for sharing. We're all guilty of future self-avoidance, especially when facing discomfort—like climate change, which is a common struggle for many of us (including me). Yes, framing the conversation around information health provides a stronger foundation than media literacy. This is adaptive infophilia theory in action: infophilia, our inherent love for information and connections, is an evolutionary drive that is still not only crucial but essential for both personal and societal flourishing. Although it has now been weaponized, we can still "adapt" to flourish! :)