This dissertation examines the effects of issue frames and individual-level mediating factors on attitudes toward same-sex marriage and civil unions. It employs three survey experiments to test both competing and non-competing frame environments, an advance which will clarify the effect of these environments on public opinion. Prior literature on multiple frame environments has failed to reach consensus on the effects of multiple frame environments (MFEs) on public opinion, MFEs may: moderate subject opinion or facilitate stronger connections between subject core values and issue opinions. Results indicate that frame effects vary with framing environment: subjects presented with two persuasive frames advocating the same issue position, or a persuasive frame advocating one position and an unpersuasive frame advocating another, reported opinions closer to the persuasive frames than the control groups. Subjects who received persuasive frames advocating contrary positions reported more moderate positions than the control groups. The magnitude of frame effects also varied by question, with larger effects recorded for the civil unions question than the same-sex marriage question. On balance, these findings support the literature suggesting that multiple frame environments moderate public opinion, although some core value-issue opinion linkages were strengthened by the framed environments. Results for the individual-level political sophistication hypotheses were inconclusive. This thesis extends prior work on MFEs to a salient and divisive issue, with multiple possible solutions. In doing so, it helps resolve a debate in the literature on the effect of MFEs on public opinion. It also provides a first test of individual-level factors, such as respondent political sophistication, which may mediate the reception and processing of these frames by citizens. Finally, this thesis tries to bring both of these literatures into communication with one another to better understand the effects of each in relation to public opinion.

Thesis supervisor: Michael S. Lewis-Beck. Thesis supervisor: David Redlawsk. Includes bibliographic references (p. 187-195).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 255-269).

Increasingly, same-sex couples are choosing to become parents. According to Patterson (1992, cited in Mallon, 1997), it is estimated that in the United States of America alone, there are between six and 14 million children being raised by gay and lesbian couples. This study explored the experiences of same-sex parents as they moved through the adoption process, and once they had become parents. Two couples (a gay male couple and a lesbian couple) were interviewed. The study used an ecological theoretical framework in order to understand the myriad influences on the individuals' and couples' experiences. The Voice-Centred Relational Method (Mauthner & Doucet, cited in Ribbens & Edwards, 1998) was used to analyse the data qualitatively. Major themes that emerged from the data include the ways in which parents negotiate roles with partners, the impact of societal reactions (and heteronormativity) on the couples, the quality of relationships between family members and the influence that these had on the couples' experience of parenting. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2007.

There is an increasing movement recognizing LGBT rights in the international arena. In China, “tongzhi” (a Chinese term for LGBT) still face massive discrimination due mainly to the Chinese government’s repressive indifference policy. This thesis follows Kees Waaldijk’s developmental pattern theory of the recognition of gay rights, starting from decriminalisation, anti-discrimination, and reaching partnership legislation. It examines this theoretic pattern in relation to the development of sexual minority rights in the United Nations (UN), European and Canadian human rights law systems. Although every jurisdiction has its own unique aspects, each basically followed Waaldijk’s pattern. The thesis concludes that the application of privacy, equality and non-discrimination principles have helped sexual minorities to achieve equal rights in a variety of fields. The thesis further examines whether the experiences within these three human rights systems can be adopted in the Chinese context. Since the UN laws are soft laws, they will help influence legal reform for tongzhi rights in China but will not be a decisive factor. With regard to the regional human rights model, unlike Council of Europe and the European Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is unlikely to push the development of human rights in China due to the lack of a strong tie between China and ASEAN member states. The Canadian experience is inspiring but will not be easily duplicated due to the lack of democratic institutions and the absence of an effective judicial review system and judicial independence in China. It is anticipated that the Waaldijk pattern cannot be reproduced in the Chinese context. China will take a top-down reform route in terms of the tongzhi rights development. The central authorities will likely adjust relevant policies to the tongzhi group once a crisis has generated sufficient social pressure that would influence the central authorities to consider changing their repressive indifference policy. Same-sex marriage law is anticipated to be the first tongzhi human right legislation in China due to the Chinese traditional culture of tolerance, the support found among academics, and the current political environment.

Thesis (M.A.)--Carleton University, 2--8. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 207-213). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (M.A. in communication)--Washington State University, 2005. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Nov. 5, 2005). Includes bibliographical references (p. 38-41).

Thesis (doctoral)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Universität, Bayreuth.

Thesis (doctoral)--La Salle University, 2005. / ProQuest dissertations and theses ; AAT 3227735. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 64-76)

This thesis has investigated the effect of political influence, religious denomination, and level of equality regarding same-sex marriage legislation among the 28 member states of the European Union (EU). Furthermore, prior research has been related to the topics: same-sex marriage cases within the EU court, religious influence on approval of homosexuality, Conservative, Liberal, and Social democratic ideas regarding same-sex marriage and research about Feminism and equality. It has used a quantitative, comparative, and causal analysis to test the six hypotheses by using Cox Regression. The thesis has concluded that religious influence had a negativeeffect on the same-sex marriage legislation, disregarding denomination, and the level of social cohesion and equality had a positive effect on the legislation. Additionally, the result has shown that among the member states of the EU, the phenomenon of same-sex marriage was not a politically polarised, but that there were rather possible other variables not included in the analysis that could explain why half of the member states have legislated same-sex marriage. However, the predicted hazard rate of no legislation has increased and if the trend would continue there could possibly be a consensus among the members of the EU in the future.