Comfort with Gays and Lesbians after a Class Discussion on Homophobia

ABSTRACT

As some educators try to eradicate homophobia among their students, the literature on how classroom interventions lessen homophobia has netted inconsistent results. Most studies have found modest curriculum effects, while some have not. In addressing these inconsistencies, this study investigates the way some mitigating factors may either augment or dampen a student's response to class discussions. After collecting data on 748 students from 12 colleges, it appears that student comfort with gays and lesbians was influenced by the class itself and a mixture of other factors. Some of these crucial factors were peer and familial attitudes as well as the perceived cause of homosexuality, embracing conservative religious maxims, and endorsing traditional gender roles.

KEYWORDS:

• Attitudes toward homosexuals
• curriculum effects
• social contacts
• attributions
• sex stereotypes
• Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
• religiosity

Notes

∗p < .05

∗∗ p < .01

∗∗∗ p < .001.

1. These 12 colleges displayed a wide range of characteristics. Three of the universities were deemed high research institutes by the “Carnegie Classification of Colleges” while five were identified as Large Masters campuses, two were Small Masters organizations, and two were Baccalaureate colleges. The size of the campuses ranged from 5,800–50,000 students, as five of the campuses contained roughly 10,000 students and three schools had above 27,000 students; two had fewer than 6,000 students. Finally, three of these campuses were located in metropolitan areas that housed 1.5–2.3 million inhabitants, while 2 campuses resided in towns of 600,000–900,000 citizens, another 3 rested in towns of 100,000 to 200,000 persons and the rest of the campuses set in towns of fewer than 30,000 residents.