Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-02T20:28:26.083Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 19 - Cross-Cultural Attitudes toward Sexual Minorities

from Social Psychology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 March 2018

Kenneth D. Keith
Affiliation:
University of San Diego
Get access

Summary

We examine psychological factors that influence cross-cultural attitudes toward homosexual behavior and toward lesbian women and gay men. Most of the available research primarily addresses attitudes toward the target group “homosexuals” to the exclusion of bisexual and transgender people. When possible, we include a discussion of the factors influencing the experiences of these individuals. We begin by explaining the advantages that accrue due to heterosexual privilege and how this links to prejudice against sexual minorities. Next, we discuss how cross-cultural attitudes toward homosexuality have been assessed in the literature and describe the results of international surveys assessing correlates of these views. Finally, we present three hands-on activities designed to provide students with a cross-cultural perspective on sexual prejudice.
Type
Chapter
Information
Culture across the Curriculum
A Psychology Teacher's Handbook
, pp. 407 - 426
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2018

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adamczyk, A., & Pitt, C. (2009). Shaping attitudes about homosexuality: The role of religion and cultural context. Social Science Research, 39, 338351. doi:0.1016/j.ssresearch.2009.01.002CrossRefGoogle Scholar
American Psychological Association. (2013). APA Guidelines for Undergraduate Psychology Major, Version 2.0. Washington, DC: Author.Google Scholar
Andersen, R., & Fetner, T. (2008). Cohort differences in tolerance of homosexuality: Attitudinal change in Canada and the United States, 1981–2000. Public Opinion Quarterly, 72, 11330. doi:10.1093/poq/nfn017Google Scholar
Bauermeister, J. A., Morales, M., Seda, G., & González-Rivera, M. (2007). Sexual prejudice among Puerto Rican young adults. Journal of Homosexuality, 53, 135161. doi:10.1080/00918360802103399Google Scholar
Buchmueller, T., & Carpenter, C. S. (2010). Disparities in health insurance coverage, access, and outcomes for individuals in same-sex versus different-sex relationships, 2000–2007. American Journal of Public Health, 100, 489495. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2009.160804Google Scholar
Case, K. (Ed.). (2013). Deconstructing privilege: Teaching and learning as allies in the classroom. New York, NY: Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Case, K. (Ed.). (2017). Intersectional pedagogy: Complicating identity and social justice. New York, NY: Routledge.Google Scholar
Case, K., Kanenberg, H., Erich, S., & Tittsworth, J. (2012). Transgender inclusion in university non-discrimination statements: Challenging gender-conforming privilege through student activism. Journal of Social Issues, 68, 145161. doi:10.1111/j.1540-4560.2011.01741.xGoogle Scholar
Case, K., & Meier, S. C. (2014). Developing allies to transitioning and gender-nonconforming youth: Training for counselors and educators. Journal of LGBT Youth, 11, 6282. doi:10.1080/19361653.2014.840764Google Scholar
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). Sexual identity, sex of sexual contacts, and health-risk behaviors among students in grades 9–12: Youth risk behavior surveillance. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Google Scholar
Cole, E. R. (2009). Intersectionality and research in psychology. American Psychologist, 64, 170180. doi:10.1037/a0014564Google Scholar
Cullen, J. M., Wright, L. W., & Alessandri, M. (2002). The personality variable openness to experiences as it relates to homophobia. Journal of Homosexuality, 42, 119134. doi:10.1300/J082v42n04_08Google Scholar
Dill, B. T., & Zambrana, R. E. (2009). Critical thinking about inequality: An emerging lens. In Dill, B. T. & Zambrana, R. E. (Eds.), Emerging intersections: Race, class, and gender in theory, policy, and practice (pp. 121). New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers, The State University.Google Scholar
Family Acceptance Project. (2009). Family rejection as a predictor of negative health outcomes in White and Latino lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults. Pediatrics, 123, 346–52.Google Scholar
Freedom to Marry Internationally. (2015). Retrieved from www.freedomtomarry.org/pages/the-freedom-to-marry-internationallyGoogle Scholar
Furnham, A., & Saito, K. (2009). A cross-cultural study of attitudes toward and beliefs about, male homosexuality. Journal of Homosexuality, 56, 299318. doi:10.1080/00918360902728525Google Scholar
Herek, G. M. (2016). The social psychology of sexual prejudice. In Nelson, T. D. (Ed.). Handbook of prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination (2nd ed., pp. 355384). New York, NY: Psychology Press.Google Scholar
Herek, G. M., Kimmel, D. C., Amaro, H., & Melton, G. B. (1991). Avoiding heterosexist bias in psychological research. American Psychologist, 46, 957963. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.46.9.957Google Scholar
Kite, M. E., & Bryant-Lees, K. B. (2016). Historical and contemporary attitudes toward homosexuality. Teaching of Psychology, 43, 164170. doi:10.1177/0098628316636297Google Scholar
Lin, K., Button, D. M., Su, M., & Chen, S. (2016). Chinese college students’ attitudes toward homosexuality: Exploring the effects of traditional culture and modernizing factors. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 13, 158172. doi:10.1080/19361653.2014.840764Google Scholar
Lingiardi, V., Falanga, S., & D’Augelli, R. (2005). The evaluation of homophobia in an Italian sample. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 34, 8193. doi:10.1007/s10508-005–1002-zGoogle Scholar
Lorde, A. (1984). Sister outsider. Freedom, CA: Crossing Press.Google Scholar
McIntosh, P. (1988). White privilege and male privilege: A personal account of coming to see correspondences through work in women’s studies. Working Paper No. 189. Wellesley, MA: Wellesley Centers for Women.Google Scholar
Meyer, I. H. (2003). Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129, 674697. doi:10.1037/0033–2909.129.5.674Google Scholar
Meyer, I. H., & Frost, D. M. (2013). Minority stress and the health of sexual minorities. In Patterson, C. J. & D’Augelli, A. R. (Eds.), Handbook of psychology and sexual orientation (pp. 252266). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Nadal, K. L. (2013). That’s so gay! Microaggressions and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.Google Scholar
Nierman, A. J., Thompson, S. C., Bryan, A., & Mahaffey, A. L. (2007). Gender role beliefs and attitudes toward lesbians and gay men in Chile and the U.S. Sex Roles, 57, 6167. doi:10.1007/s11199-007-9197-1Google Scholar
Norton, A. T., & Herek, G. M. (2013). Heterosexuals’ attitudes toward transgender people. Findings from a national probability sample of U.S. adults. Sex Roles, 68, 738753. doi:10.1007/s11199-011-0110-6.Google Scholar
Pew Global Attitudes Project. (2014). The global divide on homosexuality. Retrieved from www.pewglobal.org/files/2014/05/Pew-Global-Attitudes-Homosexuality-Report-REVISED-MAY-27-2014.pdfGoogle Scholar
Reid, G. (2017). Lebanon edges closer to decriminalizing same-sex conduct. Human Rights Watch. Retrieved from www.hrw.org/news.Google Scholar
Responsible Sexual Behaviors Act. (1992). The Code of Alabama. § 16–40A-2c8.Google Scholar
Rogler, L. H. (1999). Methodological sources of cultural insensitivity in mental health research. American Psychologist, 54, 424433. doi:10.1037/0003–066X.54.6.424Google Scholar
Sakalli, N., & Uğurlu, O. (2001). Effects of social contact with homosexuals on heterosexual Turkish university students’ attitudes towards homosexuality. Journal of Homosexuality, 42, 5362. doi:10.1300/J082v42n03_04Google Scholar
Sausa, L. A. (2002). Updating college and university campus policies. Journal of Lesbian Studies, 6, 4355. doi:10.1300/J155v06n03_05CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schilt, K., & Wiswall, M. (2008). Before and after: Gender transitions, human capital, and workplace experiences. Article 39. B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis and Policy, 8.Google Scholar
Sears, B., & Mallory, C. (2014). Employment discrimination against LGBT people: Existence and impact. In Duffy, C. M. & Visconti, D. M. (Eds.), Gender identity and sexual orientation discrimination in the workplace (pp. 40-140-19). Arlington, VA: Bloomberg BNA.Google Scholar
Smith, T. W., Son, J., & Kim, J. (2014). Public attitudes toward homosexuality and gay rights across time and countries. Los Angeles: Williams Institute. Retrieved from https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/research/international/public-attitudes-nov-2014/Google Scholar
Steffens, M.C., & Wagner, C. (2004). Attitudes toward lesbians, gay men, bisexual women, and bisexual men in Germany. Journal of Sex Research, 41, 137149. doi:10.1080/00224490409552222CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Štulhofer, A., & Rimac, I. (2009). Determinants of homonegativity in Europe. Journal of Sex Research, 46, 2432. doi:10.1080/00224490802398373Google Scholar
Sue, D. W., Nadal, K. L., Capodilupo, C. M., Lin., A. I., Torino, G. C., & Rivera, D. P. (2011). Racial microaggressions against Black Americans: Implications for counseling. Journal of Counseling and Development, 86, 330338. doi:10.1002/j.1556-6678.2008.tb00517.xGoogle Scholar
Ward, B. W., Dahlhamer, J. M., Galinsky, A. M., Joestl, S. S. (2014). Sexual orientation and health among U.S. adults: National health interview survey, 2013. National Health Stat Report, 77, 110.Google Scholar
Whitley, B. E. Jr., Kite, M. E., Ballas, H., & Buxton, K. (2017, April). Gender differences in heterosexuals’ attitudes toward homosexuality: Twenty years later. Poster presented at the Meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago.Google Scholar
World Values Survey Association. (2017). World Values Survey. Retrieved from www.worldvaluessurvey.org/wvs.jspGoogle Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×