State-Religion Entanglements and Public Acceptance of Censorship: Appeals to Social Harmony in Asian Hybrid Regimes

Authors

• Jackson Pace Campbell, Chapman UniversityFollow

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

Fall 5-6-2026

Faculty Advisor(s)

Alessandro Del Ponte

Abstract

In Asian hybrid regimes, where religious and ethnic diversity intersects with political authority, governments often justify censorship through appeals to social harmony. This paper examines how state-religion entanglements shape public tolerance for such restrictions on speech.  Drawing on theories of authoritarian resilience and Durkheimian collectivism, this study argues that higher state-religion entanglements embed religious legitimacy in institutions, legitimize suppression of dissent under the precept of collective harmony, and prioritize collectivist norms over individual rights, thus increasing public acceptance of censorship. Employing a sequential mixed-methods design, the study analyzes Asian Barometer Survey Wave 6 data from Indonesia, Vietnam, Mongolia, and South Korea. Qualitative case studies trace historical legacies, institutional embedding, and modern applications of this. Findings demonstrate how entanglement sustains illiberal practices in conflicted settings, offering insights for understanding authoritarian adaptation and the erosion of expressive freedoms in Asia.

Comments

Presented at the Spring 2026 Student Scholar Symposium at Chapman University.

Recommended Citation

Campbell, Jackson Pace, "State-Religion Entanglements and Public Acceptance of Censorship: Appeals to Social Harmony in Asian Hybrid Regimes" (2026). Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters. 804.
https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/cusrd_abstracts/804

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.