Religious fundamentalism, right wing authoritarianism and homophobia among Hindus

Pages: 717-721
Sukhmani Pal and Chetan Sinha (Department of Psychology, Christ University, Bengaluru)

The present study aims to empirically explore the relationship between Religious fundamentalism (RF) , Right wing authoritarianism (RWA) and Homophobia among Hindus. It is an attempt to understand the association between religious beliefs, adherence to authority figures and attitudes towards homosexuals in India. Since, homosexuality is illegal in India and intolerance towards homosexual is on the rise, it seems imperative to study the associations of homophobia in India (DNA, 2013). For the purpose of the study a sample of 89 Individuals (Belonging to Hindu religion) between the ages of 18-30 years were taken. The obtained data was analyzed using correlation and regression to test the hypotheses. It was found that Religious fundamentalism, Right wing authoritarianism and Homophobia are positively and significantly correlated to each other, (r =.710**, r = .310**, r=. 400**). Both RWA and RF are good predictors of homophobia, however RWA is a better predictor that RF (beta. 307**) and RWA (beta. 400**). It has also been found that there is no significant difference in homophobia among males and females. The study suggests that RF, RWA and homophobia are positively associated with each other among Hindus. The results of this study can help better understand the current scenario of homophobia and its underpinnings in India.