Jean Twenge tolerant-589

Dr. Jean Twenge,  professor of psychology at SDSU, was interviewed by TIME and the SDSU NewsCenter regarding her recently published study titled “Time Period, Generational, and Age Differences in Tolerance for Controversial Beliefs and Lifestyles in the United States, 1972-2012.” This new study finds that people in America are more tolerant of those who identify themselves as gay, atheists, communists, or militarists. Although the study points to the fact that people are more tolerant, it reveals that there is no increase in tolerance for racists. In spite of the fact the research appears to reveal that little has change in terms of eliminating racism, Twenge disagrees. She states in the TIME interview that , “I think the outrage that has followed these incidents [of racism] is an indicator of how much things have changed,” “If fraternity members in 1965 had said the things that the OU fraternity members said, nobody would have cared. And now they got expelled. I think that shows the difference.”