Public discourse and the attitudes of university students towards homosexuality as a sexual orientation
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Date
2011
Authors
Jordaan, Christina
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Department of Communication Science, University of the Free State
Abstract
The legalisation of same-sex marriages in South Africa (1999) was a natural
progression from the articles of the South African Constitution (1996), particularly
those contained in the Bill of Rights, that safeguard individuals from any form of
discrimination based on sexual orientation. A legal right to protection against
discrimination does not, however, translate to a society free of prejudice and (covert)
discrimination, and this can be clearly seen in the way that deeply biased attitudes
towards homosexuality1 emerge in public discourse at the level of the ordinary citizen,
as well as the politically powerful. The public statements expressing extreme
homophobia by a number of high profile individuals in recent years is of particular
concern because it not only communicates prejudicial attitude through message
transmission, but reinforces such attitudes amongst the intended audience. This kind of
prejudicial communication is particularly insidious because it is impossible to prove
cause and effect, even though legislation against hate speech is based on the
assumption that speech communication can have a measurable harmful effect. This
article explores the attitudes towards alternative sexual orientation of a sample group
of 58 third-year B.Ed. students at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. From
the research results reported in this article it appears that there is at least an emerging
tolerance towards gays and lesbians amongst the sample of educated young South
Africans. This is encouraging in view of the promotion of human rights, social justice
and inclusion in a democratic South Africa.
Description
Keywords
South Africa, Legislation, Sexual orientation, University students, Discrimination, Attitudes
Citation
Jordaan, C. (2011). Public discourse and the attitudes of university students towards homosexuality as a sexual orientation. Communitas, 16(1), 75-94.