Is it possible that our common acceptance of gay marriage is due to the same reasons we like sushi? Jonathan Haidt, a psychology professor at the University of Virginia responds to the question of how popular opinion about gay marriage could have evolved so quickly through a gastronomical metaphor. Haidt claims that sushi, a food that seems unappetizing and foreign to most American palettes, has grown more and more popular as Americans have seen other Americans eating sushi and thus habituated to the concept. Likewise, he believes that America has become accustomed to the concept of gay marriage simply by adjusting to and accepting its existence.
While Haidt's claim may belittle itself due to its blatant appeal as a sound byte, his novel rationale could explain why popular opinion of gay marriage has shifted so much toward acceptance in recent years. Let's delve into the psychology of political socialization! Do you believe that we might support gay marriage just because we have become accustomed to the idea? What about his postulate that an individual's morals are not set in stone and instead can change rapidly?
You can hear it from the man himself in Haidt's own quick, two-minute summary of his beliefs in the video below:
5 comments:
I think Haidt’s analogy is interesting – I myself have observed political socialization as well as social pressure at work on the topic of gay marriage. Such occurrences are especially prevalent in the growing teen population, as the youth are known to be more liberal and adolescence is also known as a time when teenagers are highly susceptible to the influences of their peers. I do agree that the gradual increase in acceptance of gay marriage (and of sushi, for that matter) over the years can be largely attributed to this “generational difference” mentioned by Haidt and through political socialization. However, I think there is an inherent flaw in his analogy: sushi has only been recently exposed (and thus accepted) by the Western civilization in the last few hundred years through interactions and building relationships with the Japanese, but homosexuality has been around for as long as man has been around. Thus, we cannot attribute the rise in acceptance of homosexuality simply to a “generational difference,” as pinpointed by Haidt, but also to other major factors, such as the separation of church and state and the acceptance of diversity of religion and of moral opinions, gradual discovery of the voice of homosexuals over a long period of history, etc. Personally, I think the evolution of man’s acceptance of homosexuality is much more gradual and complicated than the Western civilization’s acceptance of sushi, but I do see a connection.
This is interesting to compare acceptance to gay marriage to sushi. But in my opinion it could have a little to do with his analogy, but I believe still everyone has their own opinion on it. Some people make their opinions on their parents believe or their friends or just basically their own. I don't think it has to to with the gradual increase of acceptance of gay marriage. Its just based on what the person believes. But sometimes the persons believes can be based on where their from. Like people in California might be more welcoming of gay marriage then say someone in a southern state like Texas or Louisiana. But i still believe its just the persons belief.
I feel that sushi is quite an accurate analogy to homosexuality. The concept of gay rights and people coming out have become prevalent in the more recent decades, much like how sushi was exposed to Westerners just in the 1980s. Both subjects were unusual for Western civilization at that time, which may have attributed to their popularity. Young people are known to be more likely to try new things than older people, which can support Haidt's theory of "generational change".
From a local standpoint, I think that the Bay Area is a pretty good example of the effects of habituation. The Bay Area is known to be more liberal and supportive of homosexuality than other parts of California, especially SoCal. For my entire life, I've grown up in an environment in which people staunchly and openly support gay rights. I think this continuous exposure has greatly influenced my views on the topic.
Sushi and gay marriage, a somewhat random comparison, but Haidt somehow manages to connect the two. I agree with Rebecca in how even though there is a slight correlation between the two, it's not as simple as it seems. I think that in a way, it is possible that at least on the West Coast, because gay marriage is somewhat more accepted than in other parts of the US, more people here are accustomed to it. Regarding one's morals and whether or not they can change rapidly, it depends; it is easier for some people to change their morals than others.
Post a Comment