Sociology Now, Census Update

Also, attitudes may describe a position without telling us much about how some-

one actually applies that moral position in his or her everyday life. Take, for exam-

ple, attitudes about homosexuality. In the 1970s, 75 percent of Americans believed

that same-sex behavior was “always wrong” or “almost always wrong.” If these

respondents happened to discover that a co-worker or relative was gay, they might

have been horrified, cutting all contact with the person. Their negative attitude could

predict negative behavior.

Today, 50 percent of Americans believe that same-sex behavior is “always wrong”

or “almost always wrong,” but they are likely to be polite and tolerant to gay

co-workers or relatives and even make gay friends. In other words, their negative

attitude does not necessarily predict negative behavior.

The Gender of Sexuality

How do Americans construct their sexual identities? The single most important organ-

izing principle of sexuality is gender. Men and women are raised to have very differ-

ent attitudes toward sexual desire, behavior, and identity. One might say that there

are “his” and “her” sexuality.

For many years, it was assumed that only men experienced sexual desire at all;

women were interested in romance and companionship but not sex. Women who flirted

with men were not expressing sexual desire but trying to “snare” men into marrying

them or buying them something. Thus, when Queen Victoria of England signed a law

prohibiting same-sex activity among men, she didn’t even think to expand it to female

same-sex activity; why would a woman engage in sexual behavior at all unless she was

trying to seduce a man? (It was Queen Victoria, after all, who is rumored to have com-

mented that a British wife’s duty to her husband is to “lie back and think of England”!)

330 CHAPTER 10SEXUALITY

Homosexuality

Homosexuality has always been a contentious topic in the United States and worldwide. Homo-

sexual marriage rights are currently being debated around the world. Several U.S. states have

provisions for marriagelike civil unions between members of the same sex, and many other states

have passed constitutional amendments explicitly banning gay marriage. The issue of gay mar-

riage is informed by morality and values and by feelings about same-sex relationships and same-

sex sexual behavior. Often, people have trouble seeing beyond their personal moral values to

larger issues such as civil rights. So, what do you think?

10.2

What

do

you

think

❍Always wrong

❍Almost always wrong

❍Sometimes wrong

❍Not wrong at all

Do you think homosexual sexual relations are:

?

See the back of the chapter to compare your answers to national survey data.