Attitudes Toward Cultural Diversity in Spanish and Portuguese Adolescents of Secondary Education: The Influence of Heteronormativity and Moral Disengagement in School Bullying

Abstract

The purpose was to analyze the joint influence of sexism, homophobia and moral disengagement on attitudes toward cultural diversity. A total of 1245 adolescents aged from 14 to 19 years old participated in the study. Of these, 57% were Spanish and 43% were Portuguese (54.9% were female and 45.1% were male). Structural equation modeling confirmed that hostile sexism, homophobia against gay men, moral disengagement in bullying and benevolent sexism to a lesser extent explained 53% of the variance of negative attitudes toward cultural diversity. Structural relationships among the assessed constructs were equivalent for girls and boys, and for Spain and Portugal. These findings highlight the close relationship between heteronormative and ethnocentric variables as well as the relationship between such values and moral disengagement in school bullying. We discuss the implications for critical and queer intercultural education.

Resumen

El objetivo del estudio es analizar la influencia conjunta del sexismo, la homofobia y la desconexión moral en las actitudes hacia la diversidad cultural. Participan 1245 estudiantes de entre 14 y 19 años. De ellos, el 57% son españoles y el 43% portugueses (54.9% chicas y 45.1% chicos). El modelo de ecuaciones estructurales, equivalente por sexo y país, confirma que el sexismo hostil, la homofobia hacia gays, la desconexión moral hacia el bullying y, en menor medida, el sexismo benevolente explican el 53% de la varianza de las actitudes negativas hacia la diversidad cultural. Estos resultados ponen de relieve la estrecha relación entre las variables heteronormativas y etnocentristas, así como su vinculación con la desconexión moral en relación al bullying escolar. Se destacan las implicaciones para una práctica educativa intercultural crítica y queer.