Representations of homosexuality and prejudice against homosexuals of college students in a course in biology education in Mozambique

Abstract

This article analyzes the representations (explanations) of future biology teachers about the nature of homosexuality and the type of prejudice expressed against homosexuals. For this we applied questionnaires to 127 students of both sexes from first to fourth year biology course in Pedagogical University in Maputo. The results showed a bipolar representation of homosexuality reasoned explanations psychosocial and biological, but also a widespread prejudice. The analysis of the type of anchoring bias allowed to classify students into two groups: the first consisting of 59 students (46.5%) classified as flagrantly-prejudiced by adhering strongly to explanations of biological, had a higher rejection of proximity to homosexuals, low expression positive emotions toward homosexuals and high expression of negative emotions. The second group (n = 68, 53.5%) were classified as subtly prejudiced and adhered to psychosocial explanations, had a moderate rejection proximity / contact with homosexuals, low expression of positive and negative emotions toward homosexuals. However only religious and psychosocial explanations of homosexuality significantly predicted the kind of prejudice expressed against homosexuals.