As a result of the generational division, public attitudes are sharply divided on the issue. Although 44 percent of the people surveyed felt that sexual relations between two adults of the same sex is always wrong, another 41 percent thought such relations were “not wrong at all.” trik ampuh memenangkan jakcpot judi slot
“Just 11 percent were in the middle, saying it was either ‘almost always wrong’ or ‘wrong only sometimes.’ Public opinion is thus highly polarized on this issue, with few people sharing the middle ground,” Smith says.
The GSS, which has been conducted biennially for 40 years, showed a marked increase in support of many civil liberties for gays and lesbians.
Support for a gay person’s right to speak before a public audience increased from 62 percent in 1972 to 86 percent in 2010; support for allowing gays and lesbians to teach at colleges or universities rose from 48 percent in 1973 to 84 percent in 2010; and approval for having a library keep a book that favors homosexuality rose from 54 percent in 1973 to 78 percent in 2010.
The change toward acceptance of homosexuality began in the late 1980s after years of remaining relatively constant. In 1973, 70 percent of people felt same-sex relations are “always wrong,” and in 1987, 75 percent held that view. By 2000, however, that number dropped to 54 percent and by 2010 was down to 43.5 percent.
Supported by the National Science Foundation, the General Social Survey monitors societal change and the growing complexity of American society. With the exception of the U.S. Census, the GSS is the most widely used source of information about social trends and attitudes.
NORC at the University of Chicago is an independent research organization headquartered in downtown Chicago, with offices on the University campus and in the Washington, D.C. area. NORC has a nationwide field staff as well as international research operations.
