Gender Role Beliefs, Filial Piety and Attitudes towards Homosexuality among University Students

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate the correlation between gender role beliefs, filial piety, and attitudes towards homosexuality among university students, and analyze the influence of various demographic variables, such as gender and educational background in shaping attitudes towards homosexuality.Short version of Gender Role Belief Scale (GRBS), Dual Filial Piety Scale (DFPS), and Homosexuality Attitude Scale (HAS) were used to assess gender role beliefs, filial piety, and attitudes towards homosexuality respectively. Data was collected from a sample of 150 undergraduate students from Bahria University Islamabad E-8 Campus (BUIC) and Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad (QAU). The findings of the study revealed significant correlations, as gender role beliefs (progressive/feminist)and filial piety(reciprocal filial piety) were positively associated with positive attitudes towards homosexuality, while gender role beliefs (traditional/conservative) and filial piety (authoritarian filial piety) were negatively correlated with attitudes towards homosexuality. Moreover, gender role beliefs are asignificant predictor of attitudes towards homosexuality. Furthermore, demographic variables, such as gender (i.e., male and female) and educational background (public and private sector) demonstrated notable differences, as females exhibited more negative attitudes than males and students at public sector university demonstrated more negative attitudes than students from private sector university. The study underscores the importance of educational programs to promote progressive gender role beliefs and acknowledge cultural sensitivities related to filial piety to create an inclusive and supportive academic environment.