UC Irvine

How do movements change culture? This dissertation begins to answer this question by analyzing mainstream newspaper coverage of homosexuality since 1950. Using regression analysis, qualitative comparative analysis, and social network analysis, I explore what factors explain the amount of attention paid to homosexuality generally, attention paid to gay and lesbian movement organizations specifically, and the association of claims about homosexuality as they appear together in the same article. I find that the movement was instrumental in explaining each of these outcomes, but that exactly how the movement influenced coverage was predicated on the political and social context in which the movement operated. Specifically, a legacy of policy successes set up large, well resourced movement organizations to be influential in coverage. However, during times of crisis, smaller, protest oriented organizations had the opportunity to become highly influential.