The Role of Social Representations about the Nature of Homosexuality: Opposition to Civil Marriage and Adoption by Homoaffective Families
Keywords:
Prejudice, Discrimination, Homophobia, Essentialist beliefs, Social representationsAbstract
In this study the relationship between prejudice, support of discriminating policies against homosexuals and people’s social representations about the nature of homosexuality was analyzed. Participants were 297 final year psychology, social work, and law students. Results showed that the representations about homosexuality based on religious, moralist, and psychological beliefs are positively related to the support of discriminating policies against homosexuals, specifically the opposition to civil union and to children’s adoption by homosexuals. Beliefs about the cultural nature of homosexuality predicted lower support of these policies. These relations were mediated by blatant prejudice against homosexuals. These results show the role played by social representations about the nature of social groups in the maintenance of prejudices and discriminatory practices against minority groups.
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References
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American Psychological Association. (1975). Minutes of the council of representatives. American Psychologist, 30, 620-651.
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Doise, W., Clémence, A., & Lorenzi-Cioldi, F. (1993). The quantitative analysis of social representations. Hempel Hempstead: Harvester Wheatsheaf.
Figueiredo, B. C. L. (2003). Adoção para Homossexuais. Curitiba: Editora Juruá.
Flaks, D., Ficher F., & Masterpasqua, F. J. G. (1995). Lesbian Choosing Motherhood: A comparative study of Lesbian and heterosexual parents and a their children. Developmental Psychology, 31, 105-114.
Freud, S. (1905/1962). Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality Translation. In J. Strachey (Ed.), The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud (Vol. 7, pp. 136-244). Londres: Hogarth.
Golombok, S., & Tasker, F. (1996). Do parents influence the sexual orientation of their children? Findings from a longitudinal study of lesbian familiars. Developmental Psychology, 32, 03-11.
Greenberg, D. F., & Bystryn, M. (1982). Christian intolerance of homosexuality. American Journal of Sociology, 88, 515-548.
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Haider-Markel, D. P., & Joslyn, M. R. (2008). Beliefs About the Origins of Homosexuality and Support for Gay Rights: An Empirical Test of Attribution Theory. Public Opinion Quarterly, 72, 291-310.
Haslam, N., & Levy, S. R. (2006). Essentialist beliefs about homosexuality: Structure and implications for prejudice. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32, 471-485.
Haslam, N., Rothschild, L., & Ernst, D. (2002). Are essentialist beliefs associated with prejudice? British Journal of Social Psychology, 41, 87-100.
Hegarty, P., & Pratto, F. (2001). Sexual orientation beliefs: Their relationship to antigay attitudes and biological determinist arguments. Journal of Homosexuality, 41, 121-135.
IBGE (2011). Censo Demográfico 2010. Rio de Janeiro: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística.
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Judd, C. M., & McClelland, G. H. (2001). Data analysis: A model-comparison approach. Belmont: Wadsworth\Thomson Learning.
Keller, J. (2005). In genes we trust: The biological component of psychological essentialism and its relationship to mechanisms of motivated social cognition. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88, 686-702.
Lacerda, M., Pereira, C., & Camino, L. (2002). Um estudo sobre as formas de preconceito contra homossexuais na perspectiva das representações sociais. Psicologia: Reflexão e Crítica, 15, 165-178.
Leyens, J.-P., Paladino, P., Rodriguez-Torres, R., Vaes, J., Demoulin, S., Rodriguez-Perez, A., & Gaunt, R. (2000). The emotional side of prejudice: The attribution of secondary emotions to ingroups and outgroups. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 4, 186-197.
Medin, D., & Ortony, A. (1989). Psychological essentialism. In S. Vosniadou & A. Ortony (Eds.), Similarity and analogical reasoning (pp. 179-195). New York: Cambridge Academic Press.
Moscovici, S. (1976). La psychanalyse, son image et son public. Paris: PUF.
Moscovici, S., & Hewstone, M. (1983). Social representations and social explanations: From the “naive” to the “amateur” scientist. In M. Hewstone (Ed.), Attribution Theory: Social and Functional Extensions (pp. 98-125). Oxford: Blackwell.
Moscovici, S., & Pérez, J. A. (1997). Prejudice and social representations. Papers on Social Representations, 6, 27-36.
Pereira, C., Torres, A. R. R., & Pereira, A. (2004). Preconceito contra prostitutas e representações sociais da prostituição em estudantes de teologia católicos e evangélicos. In M. E. Lima, & M. E. Pereira (Eds.), Estereótipos, preconceito e discriminação: Perspectivas teóricas e metodológicas (pp. 209-234). Salvador: EDUFBA.
Pereira, C., Torres, A. R. R., Pereira, A., & Falcão, L. (2011). Preconceito contra homossexuais e representações sociais da homossexualidade em seminaristas católicos e evangélicos. Psicologia: Teoria e Pesquisa, 27, 73-82.
Pereira, C., Vala, J., & Costa-Lopes, R. (2010). From prejudice to discrimination: The legitimizing role of perceived threat in discrimination against immigrants. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40, 1231-1250.
Pereira, C., Vala, J., & Leyens, J.-P. (2009). From infra-humanization to discrimination: The mediation of symbolic threat needs egalitarian norms. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 45, 336”“344.
Pettigrew, T. F., & Meertens, R. W. (1995). Subtle and blatant prejudice in Western Europe. European Journal of Social Psychology, 25, 57-75.
Picazio, C. (1998) Diferentes desejos: Adolescentes homo, bi e heterossexuais. São Paulo: Summus.
Rothbart, M., & Taylor, M. (1992). Category labels and social reality: Do we view social categories as natural kinds? In G. Semin & K. Fiedler (Eds.), Language, interaction and social cognition (pp. 11-36). Newbury Park: Sage.
Wilkinson, W. W., & Roys, A. C. (2005). The components of sexual orientation, religiosity, and heterosexuals’ impressions of gay men and lesbians. Journal of Social Psychology, 145, 65-83.
Zambrano, E. (2006). Parentalidades “impensáveis”: Pais/mães homossexuais, travestis e transexuais. Horizontes Antropológicos, 12, 123-147.
American Psychological Association. (1975). Minutes of the council of representatives. American Psychologist, 30, 620-651.
Baron, R. M., & Kenny, D. A. (1986). The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 1173-1182.
Bailey, J. M., Dobrow, D., Wolfe, M., & Mikach, S. (1995). Sexual orientation of adult son of gays fathers. Developmental Psychology, 31, 124-129.
Bullough, V. (1974). Homosexuality and the medical model. Journal of Homosexuality, 1, 99-110.
Camino, L. (1998). Direitos humanos e psicologia. In Comissão de Direitos Humanos do Conselho Federal de Psicologia (Ed.), Psicologia, ética e direitos humanos (pp. 39-63). Brasília: Conselho Federal de Psicologia.
Camino, L., & Pereira, C. (2000). O papel da Psicologia na construção dos direitos humanos: Análise das teorias e práticas psicológicas na discriminação ao homossexualismo. Perfil, 13, 49-69.
Castro, M. G., Abramovay, M., & Silva, L. B. (2004). Juventudes e sexualidade. Brasília: Unesco.
Conselho Federal de Psicologia. (1999). Resoluçã o número 1/1999: Normas de atuaçã o para os psicólogos em relaçã o à questão da orientaçã o sexual. Brasília: Conselho Federal de Psicologia.
Doise, W. (1986). Les represésentations sociales: Définition d’un concept. In W. Doise & A. Palmonari (Eds.), L’ étude des représentations sociales (pp. 81-94). Paris: Delachaux.
Doise, W., Clémence, A., & Lorenzi-Cioldi, F. (1993). The quantitative analysis of social representations. Hempel Hempstead: Harvester Wheatsheaf.
Figueiredo, B. C. L. (2003). Adoção para Homossexuais. Curitiba: Editora Juruá.
Flaks, D., Ficher F., & Masterpasqua, F. J. G. (1995). Lesbian Choosing Motherhood: A comparative study of Lesbian and heterosexual parents and a their children. Developmental Psychology, 31, 105-114.
Freud, S. (1905/1962). Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality Translation. In J. Strachey (Ed.), The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud (Vol. 7, pp. 136-244). Londres: Hogarth.
Golombok, S., & Tasker, F. (1996). Do parents influence the sexual orientation of their children? Findings from a longitudinal study of lesbian familiars. Developmental Psychology, 32, 03-11.
Greenberg, D. F., & Bystryn, M. (1982). Christian intolerance of homosexuality. American Journal of Sociology, 88, 515-548.
Grupo Gay da Bahia (2011). Relatório 2010 sobre homofobia no Brasil. Retrieved March 30, 2011 from www.ggb.com.br.
Haslam, N., Bastian, B., & Bissett, M. (2004). Essentialist beliefs about personality and their implications. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30, 1661-1673.
Haider-Markel, D. P., & Joslyn, M. R. (2008). Beliefs About the Origins of Homosexuality and Support for Gay Rights: An Empirical Test of Attribution Theory. Public Opinion Quarterly, 72, 291-310.
Haslam, N., & Levy, S. R. (2006). Essentialist beliefs about homosexuality: Structure and implications for prejudice. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32, 471-485.
Haslam, N., Rothschild, L., & Ernst, D. (2002). Are essentialist beliefs associated with prejudice? British Journal of Social Psychology, 41, 87-100.
Hegarty, P., & Pratto, F. (2001). Sexual orientation beliefs: Their relationship to antigay attitudes and biological determinist arguments. Journal of Homosexuality, 41, 121-135.
IBGE (2011). Censo Demográfico 2010. Rio de Janeiro: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística.
Jayaratne, T. E., Ybarra, O., Sheldon, J. P., Brown, T. N., Feldbaum, M., … Pett, E. M. (2006). White Americans´ genetic lay theories of race differences and sexual orientation: their relationship with prejudice toward blacks, and gay men and lesbians. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 9, 77-94.
Judd, C. M., & McClelland, G. H. (2001). Data analysis: A model-comparison approach. Belmont: Wadsworth\Thomson Learning.
Keller, J. (2005). In genes we trust: The biological component of psychological essentialism and its relationship to mechanisms of motivated social cognition. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88, 686-702.
Lacerda, M., Pereira, C., & Camino, L. (2002). Um estudo sobre as formas de preconceito contra homossexuais na perspectiva das representações sociais. Psicologia: Reflexão e Crítica, 15, 165-178.
Leyens, J.-P., Paladino, P., Rodriguez-Torres, R., Vaes, J., Demoulin, S., Rodriguez-Perez, A., & Gaunt, R. (2000). The emotional side of prejudice: The attribution of secondary emotions to ingroups and outgroups. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 4, 186-197.
Medin, D., & Ortony, A. (1989). Psychological essentialism. In S. Vosniadou & A. Ortony (Eds.), Similarity and analogical reasoning (pp. 179-195). New York: Cambridge Academic Press.
Moscovici, S. (1976). La psychanalyse, son image et son public. Paris: PUF.
Moscovici, S., & Hewstone, M. (1983). Social representations and social explanations: From the “naive” to the “amateur” scientist. In M. Hewstone (Ed.), Attribution Theory: Social and Functional Extensions (pp. 98-125). Oxford: Blackwell.
Moscovici, S., & Pérez, J. A. (1997). Prejudice and social representations. Papers on Social Representations, 6, 27-36.
Pereira, C., Torres, A. R. R., & Pereira, A. (2004). Preconceito contra prostitutas e representações sociais da prostituição em estudantes de teologia católicos e evangélicos. In M. E. Lima, & M. E. Pereira (Eds.), Estereótipos, preconceito e discriminação: Perspectivas teóricas e metodológicas (pp. 209-234). Salvador: EDUFBA.
Pereira, C., Torres, A. R. R., Pereira, A., & Falcão, L. (2011). Preconceito contra homossexuais e representações sociais da homossexualidade em seminaristas católicos e evangélicos. Psicologia: Teoria e Pesquisa, 27, 73-82.
Pereira, C., Vala, J., & Costa-Lopes, R. (2010). From prejudice to discrimination: The legitimizing role of perceived threat in discrimination against immigrants. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40, 1231-1250.
Pereira, C., Vala, J., & Leyens, J.-P. (2009). From infra-humanization to discrimination: The mediation of symbolic threat needs egalitarian norms. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 45, 336”“344.
Pettigrew, T. F., & Meertens, R. W. (1995). Subtle and blatant prejudice in Western Europe. European Journal of Social Psychology, 25, 57-75.
Picazio, C. (1998) Diferentes desejos: Adolescentes homo, bi e heterossexuais. São Paulo: Summus.
Rothbart, M., & Taylor, M. (1992). Category labels and social reality: Do we view social categories as natural kinds? In G. Semin & K. Fiedler (Eds.), Language, interaction and social cognition (pp. 11-36). Newbury Park: Sage.
Wilkinson, W. W., & Roys, A. C. (2005). The components of sexual orientation, religiosity, and heterosexuals’ impressions of gay men and lesbians. Journal of Social Psychology, 145, 65-83.
Zambrano, E. (2006). Parentalidades “impensáveis”: Pais/mães homossexuais, travestis e transexuais. Horizontes Antropológicos, 12, 123-147.
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Published
2013-04-22
How to Cite
Pereira, C. R., Torres, A. R. R., Falcão, L., & Pereira, A. S. (2013). The Role of Social Representations about the Nature of Homosexuality: Opposition to Civil Marriage and Adoption by Homoaffective Families. Psicologia: Teoria E Pesquisa, 29(1), 79–89. Retrieved from https://periodicos.unb.br/index.php/revistaptp/article/view/17591
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Section
Estudos Empíricos
