Has Media Portrayal of Homosexuality Shifted/Changed Attitudes About the Subject? Essay Example
Has Media Portrayal of Homosexuality Shifted/Changed Attitudes About the Subject?
Introduction Attitudes about homosexuality have shifted greatly over the past 40 years, beginning with the sexual revolution of the 1960s. Mass media appears to have played a major role in more widespread acceptance of homosexuality, however negative perceptions still exist. In order to probe the level of acceptance among college students and what shapes their perceptions of homosexuality, a study was conducted by surveying male and female students at Morehouse and Spelman colleges. The purpose of this study is to statistically determine if attitudes toward homosexuality have changed or shifted due to the media’s consistent portrayal of it in today’s society. Due to the constant recognition and focus of and on homosexuals in today’s media, it can be clearly hypothesized that attitudes and beliefs and have been changed and shifted more toward the comfort with and acceptance of homosexuality. In comparison to past years, where most people were very vocal and forward about their negative attitudes toward homosexuality, in today’s society, people are believed to, overall, be more acceptable of homosexuals/homosexuality. Prior to the well-known sexual revolution of the 1960s, sexuality and sexual orientation were very taboo subjects; only the heterosexual marriage (Sigusch, 2004) was considered for discussion. During this revolutionary time, cultures and society shifted attitudes and beliefs about the traditional values of sex and sexuality. Sex outside the heterosexual marriage was finally publicly acceptable and became a part of the new society’s norm. While many people distain this revolution as the cause of higher divorce rates, out-of-wedlock children, and alarming STD rates, others see the sense of freedom and sexual liberation as a positive byproduct. Despite the attitudes people owned, the opportunities for self-satisfaction and open homosexuality
Introduction Attitudes about homosexuality have shifted greatly over the past 40 years, beginning with the sexual revolution of the 1960s. Mass media appears to have played a major role in more widespread acceptance of homosexuality, however negative perceptions still exist. In order to probe the level of acceptance among college students and what shapes their perceptions of homosexuality, a study was conducted by surveying male and female students at Morehouse and Spelman colleges. The purpose of this study is to statistically determine if attitudes toward homosexuality have changed or shifted due to the media’s consistent portrayal of it in today’s society. Due to the constant recognition and focus of and on homosexuals in today’s media, it can be clearly hypothesized that attitudes and beliefs and have been changed and shifted more toward the comfort with and acceptance of homosexuality. In comparison to past years, where most people were very vocal and forward about their negative attitudes toward homosexuality, in today’s society, people are believed to, overall, be more acceptable of homosexuals/homosexuality. Prior to the well-known sexual revolution of the 1960s, sexuality and sexual orientation were very taboo subjects; only the heterosexual marriage (Sigusch, 2004) was considered for discussion. During this revolutionary time, cultures and society shifted attitudes and beliefs about the traditional values of sex and sexuality. Sex outside the heterosexual marriage was finally publicly acceptable and became a part of the new society’s norm. While many people distain this revolution as the cause of higher divorce rates, out-of-wedlock children, and alarming STD rates, others see the sense of freedom and sexual liberation as a positive byproduct. Despite the attitudes people owned, the opportunities for self-satisfaction and open homosexuality