Research Paper on Social Factors Affecting Pornography is published for informational purposes only. The free papers are not written by our writers, they are contributed by users, so we are not responsible for the content of this free sample paper. If you want to buy a quality Essay on Research Paper on Social Factors Affecting Pornography at affordable prices please use our essay writing services offered by EssayEmpire.

Despite high rates of pornographic consumption in the United States, no consensus exists regarding beliefs about pornography. Social scientific research has identified a variety of social factors that affect individuals' beliefs about pornography, including gender, religion, age, political ideology, and race or ethnicity. Gender is an important predictor of beliefs about pornography, with women having more negative attitudes toward sexual materials. Many studies find that women are more likely than men to believe that pornography leads to rape and a breakdown in morals. Some researchers believe that these gender differences may be a result of pornography's creation for a male audience. Others contend that this discrepancy lies in the different socialization of the sexes regarding sexuality.

Religious traits are quite influential in attitudes toward pornography. Conservative Protestants are the most common religious group that espouses the harm of pornography. The Religious Right has been vocal and influential in its condemnation of pornography. The cognitive structure underlying this opposition rests in their belief in the inerrancy of the Bible as well as belief in social contagion of immorality. Even more important than religious affiliation is strength of religiosity. Persons who report strong religiosity, often assessed through attendance at church services, are more likely to view pornography as harmful. Politically conservative individuals tend to oppose pornography for reasons similar to religious conservatives. Those with conservative beliefs are concerned about the effects of pornography on the family and morality. This political ideology supports censorship of pornography and does not see pornography as a civil liberties issue.

Age is also a significant correlate concerning beliefs about pornography. Older individuals are more likely to believe that pornography has negative effects. Education also affects views toward pornography: the higher one's educational achievement, the greater one's tolerance of pornography.

The evidence on the relationship between race and beliefs about sexual materials is equivocal. Some suggest that African Americans are more accepting of erotic materials than whites, while others report that African Americans are just as likely as whites to believe pornography leads to a breakdown in morals and an increase in rapes.

As a whole, females, whites, persons who attend church frequently, politically conservative individuals, and people with no exposure to pornography are more likely to support censorship. During the past several decades, U.S. public sentiment has grown increasingly intolerant of pornography, reflected in the growing beliefs that pornography has a variety of negative effects and should be censored.

References:

1) Davis, Murray S. 1985. Smut: Erotic Reality/Obscene Ideology. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

2) Donnerstein, Edward I., Daniel Linz, and Steven Penrod. 1987. The Question of Pornography: Research Findings and Policy Implications. New York: Free Press.

3) Linz, Daniel and Neal M. Malamuth. 1993. Pornography. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

4) Osanka, Franklin Mark and Sara Lee Johann. 1990. Sourcebook on Pornography. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.

5) Zillmann, Dolf and Bryant Jennings. 1989. Pornography: Research Advances and Policy Considerations. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Free essays are not written to satisfy your specific instructions. You can order a term paper, research paper or custom TOPIC at our site which offers professional essay writing services. Get your high quality custom paper at relatively cheap prices. EssayEmpire is the best solution for those who seek help in essay writing related to TOPIC and other relevant topics.