Profanity in the Street: Tunisia an Instance

http://accurapid.com/journal/16review.htm
http://www.familystyle.com/advscripts/definitions.asp



As it is known, violence is not invariably a physical behavior. It can also be a verbal one, which is sometimes more harmful. Cursing, screaming agressively, and using dirty language are the most common shapes of verbal violence. “Profane language” is another synonym for verbal violence. According to an article of definitions of terms related to family styles published on the Internet, language of profanity refers to the language or gestures that demonstrate irreverence, contempt, or disrespect towards groups of people or religious beliefs. Language or gestures considered coarse, vulgar, obscene or otherwise offensive. It is usually manifested in taking God’s name in vain or using sexually derived words. Some people try to find excuses to such a sort of violence by being in status of anger, loss of control, and even freedom of expression. The worst, however, about this dirty language is that it could be used with relatives, with children, and in public and non- public places. In some cultures, it used to be the monopoly of masculine gender. They were only men who could be forgiven for cursing or screaming with abusive words. Currently, in these same cultures, even women dare to use it the same way men do.

At this level of analysis, I would like to take Tunisia as an example where profane language is frequently heard, especially in the streets. Yes, unfortunately, it is the reality that I cannot deny about my country. Despite all kinds of fine developments that Tunisia is accomplishing, some social behaviors still need to be polished. I can assume that there is no single day in my life where I passed through Avenue Rome, for instance, without hearing at least one dirty word. Once, I was really offended when one of my foreign teachers at the university of April 9th, said that the first word he learnt in Tunisian dialect is a sexual vulgar word (the N-word) for it was the word people say most since he came. Is not that a shame?!


As far as I am concerned, I cannot see but law to clear up our tongue. I think societies allover the world should draw more attention to this disrespectful behavior, basically in public places. I would advocate coercive laws in cases where immoral language is used for I am certain that there are other ways rather than abusive genre through which, expressing anger or cursing can be manifested .” Cursing is not necessarily abusive or aggressive. It can be humorous, playful, and creative.” Claims Zsuzannea Ardo in an article published on April 2001 under the title of Emotion, Taboo, and Language Profanity.