Value War

Public Opinion and the Politics of Gay Rights

By (author) Paul R. Brewer

Publication date:

24 December 2007

Length of book:

184 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Dimensions:

236x155mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9780742562110

In Value War: Public Opinion and the Politics of Gay Rights, Paul R. Brewer looks at how the public debate about gay rights has shaped public opinion and conversely how public opinion has shaped the public debate about gay rights. Using a variety of methods, including polls, experimentation, and content analysis, he shows how the nature of public debate_which encompasses news stories, television sitcoms, presidential speeches, and sermons by local clergy_has influenced what and how Americans think about gay rights. He also shows how public opinion has created opportunities and obstacles for foes and advocates of gay rights by defining the very terms and boundaries of the public debate. Brewer's analysis not only sheds new light on how the politics of gay rights has evolved in recent years and may evolve in the future, it also illuminates the broader tensions in American politics, from the culture war over social issues to the struggle over civil rights.

Chapter 1 1. Introduction
Chapter 2 2. Public Opinion about Gay Rights
Chapter 3 3. Whose Rights? Public Opinion about Gays, Lesbians, and Homosexuality
Chapter 4 4. From the Podium and the Pulpit: Opinion Leadership and Gay Rights
Chapter 5 5. Using Values to Frame Gay Rights: Traditional Morals, Equal Rights, or Special Rights?
Chapter 6 6. The Foundations of Opinion about Gay Rights: Changes over Time, Differences across Contexts
Chapter 7 7. The Meanings of Public Opinion about Gay Rights
Chapter 8 Appendix A: The Pooled 2003-2004 Pew Research Center Surveys
Chapter 9 Appendix B: The 1993 ANES Pilot Study and the 2003 October Pew Survey
Chapter 10 Appendix C: Content Analysis Procedure
Chapter 11 Appendix D: The 1999 Experiment
Chapter 12 Appendix E: The 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004 American National Election Studies
Chapter 13 Bibliography
Chapter 14 Index

Brewer's book is the best book written to date on the subject of public opinion and gay rights. Brewer combines sophisticated social research methods with a strong nose for politics. He situates his work nicely both in the enduring issues of American politics and in the unique characteristics of comemporary American politics. Written in a lucid and engaging style, this is a book that should appeal to a wide audience of readers. I think, for example, that it would fit very nicely into an undergraduate public opinion course as well as being of interest to academic specialists in the field.