A multi-variate analysis of social background characteristics and authoritarian attitudinal influences on society reaction to ten types of deviant behavior

This thesis explores several questions pertaining to the reactions of the university population sampled toward persons who participate or formerly participated in one of 10 types of deviant behaviors. The continuity of these reactions across four varying social relations are explored. It was hypothesized that the levels of social rejection for deviant behaviors are related to variations in the social background characteristics and attitudes of the persons who act as definers of deviance. The findings indicate that rejection or tolerance toward homosexuality, deviant consumption-selling (prostitution and drug addiction), atheism and radicalism is related to variations in the social background characteristics and attitudes of the sample tested. More specifically, reaction toward homosexuality is influenced predominately by authoritarian attitudes and the sex variable. Reactions toward behaviors grouped in the deviant consumption-selling variable are influenced predominately by the sex variable. Reactions toward atheism is influenced predominately by the authoritarian ethno-religious and social background variables. Lastly, reaction toward radicalism is influenced predominately by the authoritarian, social background and sex variables.