College - Author 1
College of Liberal Arts
Department - Author 1
Interdisciplinary Studies in Liberal Arts Department
Degree Name - Author 1
BA in Interdisciplinary Studies
Date
6-2026
Primary Advisor
Denise Isom, College of Liberal Arts, Ethnic Studies Department
Abstract/Summary
This paper examines how censorship shapes historical understanding through its influence on research, classroom instruction, and societal narratives. Drawing on interviews with four history professors at California public institutions and existing scholarship on censorship, this study explores both historical and contemporary forms of censorship, with particular attention to topics of race, gender, and sexuality. Insights from the conducted interviews and pre-existing scholarly work are explored through three dimensions: personal, academic, and societal, emphasizing how these forces affect historical research, the teaching of history, and societal understanding of the “historical canon” that determines which narratives are preserved and prioritized, and which are erased and omitted. The study further argues that censorship and society exist in a reciprocal relationship: societal values shape censorship efforts, while censorship shapes collective memory and historical understanding. To better conceptualize these dynamics, this paper proposes a model that categorizes censorship according to its source of influence and scope of impact. Overarchingly, this research explores how censorship extends beyond direct suppression and plays a significant role in constructing historical narratives and societal understanding itself, often reinforcing dominant hegemonic culture and its constituent institutions of power and control by suppressing and erasing voices from the margins.
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/islasp/2