Why Do People Change their Opinions on Same-Sex Marriage?

• In Event: 090 - Section on Sociology of Sexualities Roundtable Session (one-hour).
  In Refereed Roundtable: Section on Sociology of Sexualities Roundtables (one-hour). Table 01. LGB Marriage and Partnership

Abstract

Public opinion on same-sex marriage is changing at a rate that challenges standard wisdom about public opinion, in which such broad shifts are understood to result from generational replacement rather than individual opinion change. With the case of same-sex marriage, however, scholars have found that as much as two-thirds of observed public opinion shift is driven by intracohort opinion change (Baunauch 2011; 2012; Keleher & Smith 2012; Sherkat et al. 2011). Though researchers have found some correlation with demographic factors – the biggest positive change is among people living in urban areas with higher incomes – opinion change on same-sex marriage is remarkably widespread among the U.S. population (Baunauch 2012; Keleher & Smith 2012). That is, people of all races, ages, incomes, and religious affiliations are shifting their opinions to support the legal recognition of same-sex couples. In this paper I present data from semi-structured interviews with fifty North Carolinians who have come to support same-sex marriage after considering the issue for many years. Through the in-depth nature of semi-structured interviews, I go beyond correlations to show the common process by which respondents reconsidered the religious basis for their opposition, learned about homosexuality through personal relationships with gays and lesbians, and came to nuanced positions about the role of government in recognizing same-sex relationships.

Author

• Katherine McFarland Bruce, Elon University