Degree Name
MA (Master of Arts)
Program
Sociology
Date of Award
5-2018
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Martha Copp
Committee Members
Joseph Baker, Paul Kamolnick
Abstract
This thesis examines the rhetoric surrounding sex education crafted by two major types of advocacy groups: the Christian Right and the Liberal Left. I conducted a qualitative analysis of content on sex education produced by six high-profile organizations: The Heritage Foundation, Family Research Council, Focus on the Family, American Civil Liberties Union, the Guttmacher Institute, and Planned Parenthood. I found that these polarized organizations do not debate each other; instead, they focus on parents whose political leanings match their own. Sex education is at the center of other issues that also divide the Christian Right and the Liberal Left: healthcare, morality, marriage, education, and STIs. I analyze the arguments advocacy organizations make, the liabilities of their appeals, and their strategies to mobilize parents emotionally. Both conservative and liberal organizations aim to secure the beliefs of the next generation through their parents, not to find common ground.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Neal, True, "The Talk: Christian Right and Liberal Left Rhetoric about Sex Education" (2018). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 3381. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3381
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.
Included in
Gender and Sexuality Commons, Politics and Social Change Commons, Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and Historical Methodologies Commons