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Cultural Sociology
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Argument Forms, Frames, and Value Conflict: Persuasion in the Case of Same-Sex Marriage

Raj Ghoshal

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA, rajesh{at}unc.edu

Is telling stories politically effective? Recent debates around the efficacy of storytelling have challenged the view that narratives are an effective means of political persuasion. This article empirically examines the persuasiveness of narratives through the lens of recent controversies over same-sex marriage. Through a survey-experiment, I test the effects of different kinds of arguments on heterosexuals' views on same-sex marriage. I find some support for long-standing claims of the efficacy of stories; however, stories are not always effective, and their perceived efficacy outstrips their actual efficacy.The findings suggest that narrative appeals along with non-narrative appeals that directly challenge ideas of same-sex marriage as inherently a religious issue are most likely to induce greater favourability toward same-sex marriage.The results help specify the types of issues for which narrative appeals might be expected to be effective, ineffective, or counterproductive, and further illuminate cultural dimensions of debates over same-sex marriage.

Key Words: argument • frame • homosexuality • narrative • persuasion • politics • same-sex marriage

Cultural Sociology, Vol. 3, No. 1, 76-101 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1749975508100672
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