What is it called when the community is too conservative and doesn’t allow out-speaking and free criticism of each other?

Question

This community is so ————— . The members don’t feel comfortable to criticize each other.

I am looking for a word or phrase for the blank above.

Of course there might be political obstacles against freedom of speech. But in certain societies/communities there are also cultural obstacles too. Due to a particular culture, people are either too shy or embarrassed to talk freely. In such communities it feels awkward to speak freely or criticize others, even mild criticism. So people might talk indirectly without mentioning names. Even when there is no political punishment for that, they are not comfortable to talk freely criticizing their fellow members. So the environment/culture is very conservative.

Such communities can be contrasted with other communities in which people freely criticize each other.

I am looking to see if there is any word/phrase for such communities/societies/cultures/contexts?

I know the easiest way is to go by just saying closed or conservative culture. But I like to see if there is other words for such communities or for such form of behavior.

Answer 1

Traditionally, the adjective "stilted" is used to describe a style of language, or perhaps to describe manners; however, it has been used, in particular recently, to speak about groups of people as relates to collective behaviour.

(Merriam-Webster) 1a : […]
b : formal, stiff

• There are even stilted hotels and restaurants that tourists can visit. — Janelle Davis, CNN, 9 July 2022

If you check in Google Books for "stilted community" you do not get a single result but this is not so in the case of "stilted group".

(Adventure Divas: Searching the Globe for a New Kind of Heroine — Holly Morris · 2005) One might expect three-thousand-foot drops and fourteen-hour climbing days to be the main source of clenched jaws, but instead our strange and still stilted group dynamic seems to be the real source of a palpable tension, and the biggest obstacle to the task at hand: making a decent show and having pleasurable—non fatal experiences.

(Fools and Jesters in Literature, Art, and History — Vicki K. Janik · 1998) In Moe's and White's favorite short , You Nazty Spy ( directed by Jules White ) , the Stooges parody an even more stilted group of individuals , Hitler and the Third Reich. The film is considered by most viewers one of the trio's best

(The Illustrated London News - Volume 237) He is the one wholly alive creature in a somewhat stilted group, a quality he shares with one or two other grooms in more famous paintings, notably the groom holding the head of the racehorse "Hambletonian".

(Journal of the Medical Society of New Jersey - Volume 25 -) The program arranged by Dr. William E. Mcllvaine , of Ridgefield Park , and Dr. Halperin , of Englewood , showed what success can be made of a stilted group of antiquated physicians when the proper inducements and stimulants are at hand

Considering that from the concept of group to that of community there is hardly one step I see no reason for not using this adjective as a modifier of this latter term.

• This community is so stilted. The members don’t feel comfortable criticizing each other.

Answer 2

Repressed? "characterized by restraint" according to meaning #2 of Merriam Webster's online dictionary. Could be culturally self-imposed.

If people were actively prevented from speaking freely due to overt pressures or sanctions, I might say "repressive."

Wouldn't say "conservative," as it may imply a political statement you don't intend to make. And some liberal campuses also have their own kinds of repression, so conservative may miss the mark.

Answer 3

Censorious is an option as an adjective. It usually describes people who are very critical, always criticizing other people or ideas. However, it can also be used to describe a culture, society, community or government; where actions or expressions are suppressed if they are deemed offensive, politically unacceptable, objectionable, inappropriate or harmful.

In a way, censorious becomes self-referential and almost an auto-antonym when it defines a society or government; where free speech and criticism are suppressed. In this regard, a government can impose censorship which is the suppression of speech, public communication, news, dramatic work and other information; and this can be extreme in totalitarian governments.

This is all connected to the origin of the word, censor (from Latin censor, < censēre 'to judge, estimate, rate, assess'), the title of two magistrates in ancient Rome who held censuses and supervised public morals. In short, censorious is acting like a censor.

Here is a relevant example from the synopsis of the musical Spring Awakening where it creates a good contrast between the suppressed and the suppressor:

A group of teenagers – silenced and controlled by a censorious society – discover a new world of feeling and freedom outside the classroom, with beautiful and devastating consequences.
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If you prefer a milder word, there is modest, and perhaps reserved can work too; where they are suitable to define the cultural aspect of being conservative. Japan is a good example in this manner. The modest nature of Japanese people is reflected to their speech and language also. Japenese people are very humble and reserved; and there is often indirectness in their communication. Their modesty is tied to self-criticism also and they avoid criticizing others in their society. Here is a Japanese proverb about modesty:

能ある鷹は爪を隠す
Nou aru taka wa tsume-o kakusu.

'A clever hawk hides its claws.'

Answer 4

From Cambridge Dictionary

Hidebound: adjective: having fixed opinions and ways of doing things and not willing to change or be influenced, especially by new or modern ideas

Insular: adjective: interested only in your own country or group and not willing to accept different or foreign ideas

Bigoted: adjective: having strong, unreasonable beliefs and disliking other people who have different beliefs or a different way of life: