Homossexualidade e Preconceito: o que Pensam os Profissionais de Recursos Humanos

Abstract

This dissertation had two purposes. The first was to investigate the preconception against the homosexual people from the analysis of the positives and negatives characteristics attribution, developed by professionals in the area of human resources so for homosexual as for heterosexual people. The second aim was to investigate as the new forms of expression of the preconception can be acting in this discriminative process, considering the infra-humanization as a product of these new forms. For that, two empiric studies were done. The first tried to validate the scales which would serve of indicators in the instrument of the second study, which were accomplished in a post graduation students sample (n=135) in the area of human resources of both sexes in Goiânia city. In the first study (n=69) was verified that the adjective list based on Lima s studies (2002) about the infra-humanization, could not be sufficiently well adequated in our context. The second study results, revealed that in homosexual people instance , the preconceit expression occur in a subtle way (Pettigrew & Meertens, 1995) though it s not related to the process of infra humanization, which define that a larger attribution of human characteristics (culture features and feelings or second emotions) for the major group, promote the inter group differentiation without derogating the minority group, providing therefore, an acceptable social atmosphere to the actual society, respecting the attainable rules. The results indicated that, differently from others studies in the area (Lacerda et al, 2002; Falcão 2004 e Pereira, 2004), the preconception against homosexual people expresses itself in the more subtle way than flagrant, presenting a larger attribution in positive characteristics for the majority group and not differing the negative characteristics attribution level for the minority group. These results are discussed sticking out the importance of more studies about this theme which has been so little studied for social psychologists.