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USING the E3 MODEL of GENDER TYPE PERCEPTION to UNDERSTAND CHANGES in ATTITUDES ABOUT HOMOSEXUALS in the USA a Thesis by RACHEL

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USING the E3 MODEL of GENDER TYPE PERCEPTION to UNDERSTAND CHANGES in ATTITUDES ABOUT HOMOSEXUALS in the USA a Thesis by RACHEL USING THE E3 MODEL OF GENDER TYPE PERCEPTION TO UNDERSTAND CHANGES IN ATTITUDES ABOUT HOMOSEXUALS IN THE USA A Thesis by RACHEL SUMRALL Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University-Commerce in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE August 2018 USING THE E3 MODEL OF GENDER TYPE PERCEPTION TO UNDERSTAND CHANGES IN ATTITUDES ABOUT HOMOSEXUALS IN THE USA A Thesis by RACHEL SUMRALL Approved by: Advisor: Raymond Green Committee: Maria Carlson Tracy Henley Head of Department: Tracy Henley Dean of the College: Timothy Letzring Dean of Graduate Studies: Matt Wood iii Copyright © 2018 Rachel Michelle Amerson Sumrall iv ABSTRACT USING THE E3 MODEL OF GENDER TYPE PERCEPTIONTO UNDERSTAND CHANGES IN ATTITUDES ABOUT HOMOSEXUALS IN THE USA Rachel Sumrall, MS Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2018 Advisor: Raymond Green, PhD In the late 1990s research was conducted on gender types (e.g., housewife, nerd) in an attempt to understand how people organized these types in their mind (Green, Ashmore, & Manzi, 2005). One of the types investigated was the homosexual. Homosexual targets were generally evaluated negatively and were organized together with other “bad people.” Many things have changed in the last 20 years. The military changed their policy towards homosexuality, the Federal Courts legalized gay marriage, along with many other victories of the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning) community. I investigated if there is still a tendency to evaluate homosexual targets negatively and to organize them with other negative targets holds true today. The purpose of this study was to identify whether there have been any changes in the stereotype perception of homosexuals. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not have been possible without the support of my husband Michael Sumrall, my son Thaddeus Sumrall, and my parents Gene and Josie Amerson, Jamie and Taran Banschbach as well as Linda and Gene Sumrall. I would also like to thank Dr. Raymond Green, my advisor for being helpful and patient during this process. Thank you for all of your support and encouragement. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................. viii CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................... 1 Statement of the Problem ................................................................................ 1 Purpose of the Study ....................................................................................... 1 Significance of the Study ................................................................................... 2 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................... 3 3. METHOD OF PROCEDURE ................................................................................... 13 Sample Selection ........................................................................................... 13 Data Gathering .............................................................................................. 14 Gender Type Stimuli .......................................................................... 15 Procedures and Materials ................................................................. 15 4. PRESENATION OF DATA .................................................................................... 17 Computation of Dimensional and Categorical Representations .....................17 Interpretation of MDS and HC Analyses ...................................................... 18 Multidimensional Scaling ...............................................................................19 Comparison of Male and Female Perceivers .................................... 19 Determining the Number of Dimensions .......................................... 19 Hierarchical Clustering ................................................................................... 20 Computation of HC Representation .................................................... 20 Interpretation of the 11-Cluster HC Solution ...................................... 21 5. DISCUSSION ........................................................................................................... 24 vii Suggestions for Future Research ................................................................... 26 REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................... 28 APPENDICES ........................................................................................................................... 34 Appendix A. Terms from Current Study ................................................................................. 35 B. Terms from Original Study ................................................................................ 39 C. Words Removed from Original Study ................................................................ 44 VITA .......................................................................................................................................... 47 viii LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1. Two-dimensional, 11-cluster representation of gender type perceptions cluster labels (.g., #1-11) will be used to guide reader in text. ...............................................................20 2. Three-dimensional scaling solution with embedded hierarchical clustering output. ........ 21 1 Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION Statement of the Problem In the late 1990s Green, Ashmore, and Manzi (2005) took a sample of Northeastern college students and evaluated their opinion of a large number of gender types including homosexual targets. The results of this study indicated that homosexual targets were considered to be highly negative, not typical of male or female behavior, and that they violated expected male and female gender roles. There have been societal changes that have occurred since then (e.g., removing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell from the armed forces, Defense of Marriages Act (DOMA) ruling in 2016, change in census, etc.). Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), a website that was created by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Queer or Questioning (LGTBQ) community conducted a survey and found that 4.8% of characters on television shows in 2016-2017 were LGBTQ (The Guardian, 2016). This figure represents the largest amount of LGBTQ individuals on television in the last 20 years (The Guardian, 2016). Purpose of the Study In regard to the societal changes within the laws and the acceptance of LGBTQ within the media, it seems valid to question whether individuals’ thoughts and attitudes about homosexuality have changed. Additionally, society’s vocabulary has changed, with new terminology becoming more inclusive to reflect society’s more nuanced understanding of sexuality and gender. I proposed to investigate perceptions of these newer and more precise labels commonly associated with homosexuality. 2 Significance of the Study In the past, across societies males and females traditionally had distinct roles (Bowers, 1971). In a traditional American household the female was the nurturing person making sure everyone was taken care of and the house kept in order — everything from clothing to dishes to clean rooms. The traditional female was also expected to take care of the children and to be warm and expressive, something stereotypically missing from men (Broverman, Vogel, Broverman, Clarkson, & Rosenkrantz, 1972). The traditional male was the breadwinner of the household. His main job was to make the majority of the money, if not all of it. His household responsibilities consisted of repairing various items around the house, as well as maintaining the yard and any vehicles. Women were expected to be interested in fashion, beauty, decorating, etc. Men were expected to be interested in sports and repairing cars, homes, gadgets, etc. In 1972 Broverman et al., found that women were seen as less competent, dependent, and not as objective or as logical as men. Rosenkrantz, Bee, Vogel, Broverman, and Broverman (1968) also found there was a greater tendency to value masculine traits over feminine traits. According to Broverman et al. (1972), in American society both men and women perceived masculine traits to be more desirable than feminine traits. Traditional male and female roles have endured change throughout the years. Women can work outside of the home and men may stay home. The views and perceptions of men and women have drastically changed over the years, so with changes in society’s perceptions, it is possible society has changed their views on the acceptance of homosexuality. 3 Chapter 2 LITERATURE REVIEW In order to know what changes have occurred within the past few years it is important to know the makeup of American gender role history. Broverman et al. (1972) found that gender- role stereotypes are a part of how men and women see themselves and indicates how imbedded these attitudes are in men and women in American society. In her 1974 study, Bem introduced the instrumentality and expressiveness (I/E) scale, which was used to measure stereotypical male and female personality characteristics. Bem (1974) believed that each individual possessed both instrumental and expressive traits, but the amount each person had was relative. Through her scale it was found that stereotypically, men have more instrumental characteristics
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