Some have argued that the Culture Wars are in abatement. Out of curiosity I checked the attitudes toward abortion on demand and homosexuality in the GSS broken down by age & political orientation. The ABANY and HOMOSEX variables. Below are the percentages who agree with abortion on demand as well as the contention that there is nothing wrong with homosexual relations.
Yes To Abortion On Demand
Extremely LiberalLiberalSlightly LiberalModerateSlightly ConservativeConservativeExtremely Conservative
65 or older57503432322622
50-6463555037373122
35-4973655644402821
18-3473625140372427
Homosexual Relations Not Wrong
Extremely LiberalLiberalSlightly LiberalModerateSlightly ConservativeConservativeExtremely Conservative
65 or older3023128854
50-64473827151489
35-49524632202097
18-3467483424201111
Two observations 1) The more liberal groups exhibit more between age class variation. In other words, there is much less difference between older & younger conservatives than older & younger liberals. 2) There is more variation as a function of politics among the young. In other words, there is less difference among older groups across the political spectrum than the younger groups. The reason for this seems pretty obvious; liberals are shifting the cultural status quo. Whereas today young conservatives might assert that homosexuality is wrong because the Bible tells them so, in an earlier era the unacceptability of homosexuality was a social norm widely shared, and so required no religious justification. This naturally makes sense when you consider that avowedly atheistic governments such as East Germany and Cuba have attempted to suppress homosexuality. The polarization of the youth also might be a reflection of the fact that young Americans are among the most secular, and if Christian, most evangelical, cohort. Note: The sample above was limited to whites.
