Role of social status factors & religion/secularization factors in views of homosexuality in five nations of the Middle East

Abstract

Examining how social status factors, religion factors, and secularization factors affected attitudes about homosexuality held by residents of Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey, the present study also asked whether national origin moderated how the 3 factor groups were or were not associated with these attitudes. The study employed data drawn from Wave 6 of the World Values Survey. Measures for independent and dependent variables in that survey differed by nation; the most-positive attitudes belonged to respondents from Lebanon, followed by Bahrain, Iraq, Turkey, and Jordan. Respondents from Lebanon and Bahrain had higher incomes, more education, and higher class. Lebanese respondents’ values were the most secular of the 5 subsamples. A multiple regression model was developed to evaluate attitudes on homosexuality separately for each country involved. Overall results of the analysis showed social status factors, religion factors, and secularization factors to demonstrate an association with attitudes about homosexuality. Some associations took directions that differed from expected ones for some nations but not necessarily all 5; additionally, a moderating role for national origin was confirmed. This suggests that the countries of the Middle East do not represent a monolith. Each features cultural, political, and/or social differences that make it unique.

KEYWORDS:

• Homosexuality
• Middle East
• social status
• secularization
• religion

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jonbita Prost

Jonbita Prost, Ph.D., graduated with a Ph.D. in Sociology from Texas Woman's University. Her research interests include social stratification; race and ethnicity; methods and statistics; gender and sexuality; and health disparities.

Celia C. Lo

Celia C. Lo, Ph.D., Behavioral Research Manager, Peraton. Her research interests include disparities in health-risk behaviors and health, social epidemiology, alcohol and drugs, and criminology.