About the Book
American public opinion tends to be sticky. Although the news cycle might temporarily affect the public's mood on contentious issues like abortion, the death penalty, or gun control, public opinion toward these issues has remained remarkably constant over decades. There are notable exceptions, however, particularly with regard to divisive issues that highlight identity politics. For example, over the past three decades, public support for same-sex marriage has risen
from scarcely more than a tenth to a majority of the population. Why have people's minds changed so dramatically on this issue, and why so quickly? It wasn't just that older, more conservative people
were dying and being replaced in the population by younger, more progressive people; people were changing their minds. Was this due to the influence of elite leaders like President Obama? Or advocacy campaigns by organizations pushing for greater recognition of the equal rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) people?Listen, We Need to Talk tests a new theory, what Brian Harrison and Melissa Michelson call The Theory of Dissonant Identity Priming,
about how to change people's attitudes on controversial topics. Harrison and Michelson conducted randomized experiments all over the United States, many in partnership with equality organizations, including
Equality Illinois, Georgia Equality, Lambda Legal, Equality Maryland, and Louisiana's Capital City Alliance. They found that people are often willing to change their attitudes about LGBT rights when they find out that others with whom they share an identity (for example, as sports fans or members of a religious group) are also supporters of those rights-particularly when told about support from a leader of the group, and particularly if they find the information somewhat
surprising.Fans of the Green Bay Packers football team were influenced by hearing that a Packers Hall-of-Famer is a supporter of LGBT rights. African Americans were influenced by hearing that the Black
president of the United States is a supporter. Religious individuals were influenced by hearing that a religious leader is a supporter. And strong partisans were influenced by hearing that a leader of their party is a supporter. Through a series of engaging experiments and compelling evidence, Listen, We Need to Talk provides a blueprint for thinking about how to bring disparate groups together over contentious political issues.
Table of Contents:
List of Figures
List of Tables
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1: The Theory of Dissonant Identity Priming: How Identity, Source Similarity, and Message Characteristics Intersect to Influence Attitudes
Chapter 2: Marriage Equality and Other LGBT Issues in the U.S.
Chapter 3: More than a Game: Sports Fans and Marriage Equality
Chapter 4: God and Marriage: Activating Religious Identity to Influence Attitudes on Same-Sex Marriage
Chapter 5: It Does Matter if You're Black or White (or Brown): Ethnoracial Identity Priming
Chapter 6: Come Join the Party: The Power of Partisan Elite Cues
Chapter 7: Conclusion: On the Frontier of Public Opinion and LGBT Rights Research
Appendix A: Supplemental Tables
Appendix B: Experiment Scripts
Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the Author :
Brian F. Harrison is Lecturer in Political Science at Northwestern University.
Melissa R. Michelson is Professor of Political Science at Menlo College.
Review :
"This fascinating, well-researched book includes helpful methodological discussions about TDIP experiments and will greatly interest researchers and activists seeking to change attitudes about controversial social issues (e.g., transgender equality, marijuana legalization)." -- CHOICE
"This book, while covering a wide breadth of populations, experimental methodologies and technical jargon, is written in a way which is approachable for persons both in and out of academia. It provides highly detailed statistics, tables and appendices, while also covering necessary historical and background information concerning the fight for equal rights among LGBT persons ... This book is a timely and informative piece and a must-read for any and all
interested in LGBT rights, marriage equality, identity-priming and attitudinal change." -- Marina Costa, Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity
"In this excellent, timely, and persuasive book, Harrison and Michelson offer a theory of how even committed opponents can be incentivized to listen to persuasive messages regarding disadvantaged groups. Priming common social identities, they find, can reduce mutual alienation. This is groundbreaking theoretical and empirical work!"
-- Gary M. Segura, Professor and Dean, Luskin School of Public Affairs, University of California, Los Angeles
"A fascinating story of political transformation that will appeal to a wide range of readers."
-- Susan Burgess, Professor of Political Science, Ohio University
"Harrison and Michelson provide a powerful explanation for why and how attitudes on same-sex marriage changed so rapidly. It is a must read for social movement leaders who are interested in creating opinion change."
-- Jami Taylor, Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Administration, University of Toledo
"A timely and important book. The methods are innovative, the topic is pressing, and the lessons about attitude change and intergroup relations will be of great use both to scholars and activists who aspire to a world free of prejudice."
-- Kenneth Sherrill, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Hunter College
"This fascinating, well-researched book includes helpful methodological discussions about theory of dissonant identity priming experiments and will greatly interest researchers and activists seeking to change attitudes about controversial social issues (e.g., transgender equality, marijuana legalization)."
--CHOICE
