Citizens express narrower ideas as their audience grows wider

Evidence

The larger study shows how citizens made ¢ne, relentless distinctions between what was sayable in one context and another: citizens sounded more public-minded in casual or intimate contexts than in public contexts; the wider the audience, the narrower were the ideas citizens could express. — Nina Eliasoph, “Close to home”, 32

Categorization

• XREF: A startling inversion suggesting audiences suppress, not inspire, public-minded speech — relevant to theories of how public talk builds or blocks collective identity. — connects to: Civic speech style varies with audience rather than with underlying beliefs — Nina Eliasoph, “Close to home”: The work of avoiding…, 118; A diversity of listeners enables speakers to voice public-spirited ideas they otherwise suppress — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics: how Americans…, 1472; Political expression is switched on and off by group context rather than individual belief — Nina Eliasoph, “Close to home”: The work of avoiding…, 97 (+3 more)
• QUESTION: Why would wider audiences narrow speech? The mechanism (publicness triggers self-censoring) is only gestured at here.

Related

• Political expression is switched on and off by group context rather than individual belief (similarity 0.86)
• Civic speech style varies with audience rather than with underlying beliefs (similarity 0.86)
• Public speaking contexts actively shrink citizens’ circles of concern (similarity 0.84)
• A diversity of listeners enables speakers to voice public-spirited ideas they otherwise suppress (similarity 0.82)
• Public-spirited talk flourishes backstage, not in public spheres (similarity 0.82)
• Citizens express political ideas privately yet avoid public political engagement (similarity 0.81)
• Civic engagement is a mode of talk, not a subject matter (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• Civic speech style varies with audience rather than with underlying beliefs #corroborates (0.92) — Nina Eliasoph, “Close to home”, 118
• A diversity of listeners enables speakers to voice public-spirited ideas they otherwise suppress #contradicts (0.85) — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics, 1472
• Political expression is switched on and off by group context rather than individual belief #corroborates (0.85) — Nina Eliasoph, “Close to home”, 97