Policies and Perceptions Around Censorship in Literary Translation in Iran
Subject Areas : Journal of Language, Culture, and Translation
1 - Assistant Professor, Qaemshahr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qaemshahr, Iran
Keywords: Censorship, Literary works, Perceptions, Policies ,
Abstract :
The present study was conducted to explore the current policies on screening and censorship in Iran with a special focus on literary works. In addition, the publicized perceptions regarding screening and censorship were also in focus. The material of the study included the officially published documents by the Cabinet and Parliament in addition to the councils responsible for cultural policy making. Further material for the study of the public perceptions encompassed the published interviews, editorials, and reports on official websites or media. The method of the study was mainly content analysis. Through the process of directed coding, the researcher identified the relevant codes in sentences which were the units of analysis. Then they were grouped under relevant themes. The results of the study showed that the major criteria for censorship were religious-related, moral, and political ones. Moreover, the major types of censorship were pre-publication, self-censorship, and post-publication. Among these types and criteria, the political considerations and pre-publication were the most dominant ones. The findings were discussed from a socio-cultural perspective and the implications were elaborated on with regard to translation training requirements.
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