Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This paper examined the prejudiced attitudes toward homosexuals among university students in Japan, and the relationships of these attitudes with the students’ demographic information, contact experiences with homosexuals, and attitudes toward men’s and women’s roles. In addition, this paper compared Japanese and American university students’ prejudice toward homosexuals. Survey data were collected from 166 university students in Japan, which is then compared to data on 956 university students in the United States (Baunach and Burgess 2002). The regression results demonstrated that Japanese respondents who had contact with homosexuals and who had relatively egalitarian gender role attitudes were less prejudiced than those who had no contact and who had relatively traditional gender role attitudes. American students expressed more prejudiced attitudes toward homosexuals than Japanese students. Even after controlling for gender, parents’ education, gender role attitudes, and contact experiences, American students were more prejudiced than Japanese students. I discussed religious and cultural differences between Japan and the United States as to why American respondents were more prejudiced than Japanese respondents.

Supporting Publications:
Supporting Document

Publication Type: Paper (prepared oral presentation)
Abstract: In this paper I discuss the findings of an experiment developed in Mexico City and Chicago, IL. In the experiment I manipulate the phenotypic appearance of an electoral candidate. The purpose is to analyze the effect of both voters and electoral candidates' phenotypes on the voters' evaluation among members of what is considered a single “racial group.” Each subject receives a handout with the picture and information of three electoral candidates competing for the gubernatorial position in another state (Yucatán in Mexico, and New Mexico in the USA.) I manipulate the phenotypes of the candidate in the middle, while the other candidates’ appearance remains constant. All candidates and subjects belong to the same “racial group”: the Mestizo group. I develop these experiments among Mexicans and Mexican Americans as these two groups share a common understanding of their racial origins while socialized in different racial contexts. I can test for the effect of different social norms regarding phenotypic behavior on people’s actions. My research aims to answer the following question: Do people who share the same stereotypical knowledge associated to different phenotypes act politically on those stereotypes, regardless of the social norms regulating their behavior? I have collected and analyzed the data from Mexico that shows that Mestizo and Indigenous looking Mexicans discriminate in favor of White-looking candidates. I am in the process of collecting the data from Chicago where I expect that the electoral candidate's phenotypes will not affect voters' evaluation following the social norm of racial equality (Mendelberg, 2001.)

Publication Type: Poster
Abstract: The poster addresses the positive relationships between specialized graduate education and motivation to control prejudiced response, and attitudes towards victims of sexual violence. It will also illuminate the amount of education in sexual violence reported by graduate students in counseling disciplines and its impact on counseling victims of sexual violence.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Do people learn to be homophobic from the media? Are people with homophobic beliefs more likely to consume certain media such as political talk radio? Using Uses & Gratifications and Cultivation Analysis as the theoretical framework, the present study examines possible links between media usage and homophobic attitudes. Despite the general belief about media’s powerful influence on politics and culture, our findings suggest that media usage has a very limited relationship with anti-gay attitudes. Instead, characteristics such as strong religiosity and lower education are better predictors of one’s negative attitudes toward gays and lesbians. The only significant media related factor to homophobia is a low incidence of newspaper reading.