Cohorts, Diffusion, and Attitude Shifts

University Of Colorado At Boulder, Boulder CO

Investigators

Abstract

SES-1256841 Fred Pampel University of Colorado A key component of widespread changes in family life and fertility levels has been the greater tolerance of diverse forms of social behavior. Yet some groups have changed more than others in their views. This project addresses a key question for social scientists: How has the socioeconomic distribution of social attitudes changed across cohorts, periods, and nations? The question raises issues about social change that generate considerable debate in the scholarly literature. Some say that changes in social attitudes occur through increases in the proportion of the population coming from high status backgrounds, having attained high education, working in high status jobs, and enjoying economic security - those groups most prone to adopt tolerant views. Others say that the economic prosperity and material security in rich nations during the post-World War II decades have led to new values of self-expression and secularism. This broad value change has fostered tolerant attitudes among all or most social groups. This project develops and tests a third theory. A diffusion theory posits that social equality and economic growth initially increase tolerant attitudes among high SES groups, thereby leading to polarization in attitudes. However, tolerant attitudes steadily diffuse across cohorts and time periods to other groups, with social differences in views narrowing as tolerant attitudes become more widespread. This project tests the competing theories with three data sets: 1) the General Social Survey with 22 surveys from 1973 to 2008; 2) the International Social Survey Programme with up to three waves of data (1994, 1998, and 2004) for 32 nations; and 3) the World Values Survey of 71 nations located in all major regions of the world and with up to five waves of data. The findings from statistical analysis of the data will contribute new understandings of how attitudes and values change in populations. Broader Impacts The project will have impacts that extend beyond scholarly research. Tolerance of non-traditional behaviors and groups is an essential goal of a free and civil society. Given the historical and continuing discrimination and mistreatment of sexual minorities, it helps to have a better understanding of changes in the social distribution of tolerant attitudes. Toward that end, the project will incorporate research results into graduate classes and publicize the results in articles written for general readership magazines.