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While it is more common today to see homosexuality in society and media, reception to the notion has not always been positive. In the early 1990s more than 33 percent of gay men and lesbians had reported being victims of interpersonal violence, hate crimes, and discrimination due to their sexual orientations (Parrot, 2008). The media has taken on the challenge of combating widespread homophobia, and seeks to portray characters and lifestyles in which its audience/followers can equally identify with and feel comfortable being represented
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It is believed that homosexuality and most people’s feelings toward it have undoubtedly shifted/changed, even though some individuals’ attitudes have not been affected by its movement.
Methods and Procedures A correlation study was done in order to determine if past attitudes have changed or shifted due to the exposure of homosexuality in the media. Previous studies of this type have been done in past years, and can be used in comparison to the results from the current study. The sample consisted of 25 males from Morehouse College and 25 females from Spelman College ages 18-24. The demographics of the study group are shown in the following charts. In order to accurately assess the attitudes toward homosexuality, a survey was given. This survey was 20 items long, mostly true or false, and there were also some questions where the participant had to rate statements on a scale with 1 being completely acceptable and 5 being completely unacceptable. The survey included items such as beliefs about homosexuality possessed by the parents and study participant, homosexual marriages, and cross dressing, for example. Some of the questions were asked in different ways in order to assess whether the attitudes displayed were firm in stance or …show more content…
In accordance with our study, from the results we have gathered, we can first conclude that there is evidence of gender discrepancy regarding attitudes towards homosexuality. We can further go on to say that the majority of African Americans selected to participate fell back on their religious belief as a guide of acceptance and a template on how to react towards the homosexual community. The resulting factors led to disprove our hypothesis. The study did not find that the attitudes and beliefs have changed and shifted towards the comfort with and acceptance of homosexuality. We saw that the support of attitudes towards homosexuality not only comes from the media, but also stems from the level of religious belief and values of an individual. If we take a look at any group of individuals, we can see that there is variance among the personality traits from one to the other. The truth of the matter is that everyone is a unique individual and one characteristic of their being does not make the person as a whole. With this existing generation we should be able to look past the stereotypes from the past and appreciate the diversity in existence today. For future research possibilities a media source should be incorporated into the study to determine to what extent
It is believed that homosexuality and most people’s feelings toward it have undoubtedly shifted/changed, even though some individuals’ attitudes have not been affected by its movement.
Methods and Procedures A correlation study was done in order to determine if past attitudes have changed or shifted due to the exposure of homosexuality in the media. Previous studies of this type have been done in past years, and can be used in comparison to the results from the current study. The sample consisted of 25 males from Morehouse College and 25 females from Spelman College ages 18-24. The demographics of the study group are shown in the following charts. In order to accurately assess the attitudes toward homosexuality, a survey was given. This survey was 20 items long, mostly true or false, and there were also some questions where the participant had to rate statements on a scale with 1 being completely acceptable and 5 being completely unacceptable. The survey included items such as beliefs about homosexuality possessed by the parents and study participant, homosexual marriages, and cross dressing, for example. Some of the questions were asked in different ways in order to assess whether the attitudes displayed were firm in stance or …show more content…
In accordance with our study, from the results we have gathered, we can first conclude that there is evidence of gender discrepancy regarding attitudes towards homosexuality. We can further go on to say that the majority of African Americans selected to participate fell back on their religious belief as a guide of acceptance and a template on how to react towards the homosexual community. The resulting factors led to disprove our hypothesis. The study did not find that the attitudes and beliefs have changed and shifted towards the comfort with and acceptance of homosexuality. We saw that the support of attitudes towards homosexuality not only comes from the media, but also stems from the level of religious belief and values of an individual. If we take a look at any group of individuals, we can see that there is variance among the personality traits from one to the other. The truth of the matter is that everyone is a unique individual and one characteristic of their being does not make the person as a whole. With this existing generation we should be able to look past the stereotypes from the past and appreciate the diversity in existence today. For future research possibilities a media source should be incorporated into the study to determine to what extent