Elites

Elite opinion influences the public opinion formation process by the frames of reference within which information is conveyed to the public by the elites. Zaller (1992) argued that the more aware an individual is about what is going on in the world, the greater will be the influence of elites on that individual. As an example, the person who is well educated is more likely to have prior information relevant to an issue, and, thus, will know who among the elites are (a) active in interpreting the issue and (b) the people that the person trusts. This situation, according to Zaller (1992) causes better-educated people to be more influenced by elites than is the case with lesser-educated people. In actual fact, however, it may simply be a case of elite identification in many cases. Zaller (1992) perceives of elites as ôpoliticians, higher-level government officials, journalist, some activists, and many kinds of experts and policy specialistsö (p. 6). In actual practice, however, the Christian fundamentalist preacher with little background in public affairs and little expert knowledge of complex issues and

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r if the woman resists.á The implication of this stereotype is that the act of rape does not exist because the act of sexual intercourse could not occur if the woman did not want it to occur.á This myth led directly to the requirement by courts that a woman must exhibit extraordinary physical resistance to imply non consent even if such resistance invited a threat of death should such resistance continue.á When rape law was reformed in California to address this issue, however, the stereotype was not eliminated by the revised statute that still stated that extraordinary physical resistance by the woman was required to indicate non consent unless a risk of great bodily harm to her existed.á Thus, the rights of the woman victim of rape in California remained compromised by rape law.á This section of the law eventually was reversed by the courts. Another powerful myth is the ôno means yesö concept.á This concept led to the development of the stereotype that women rape victims in actuality wanted to be raped.á The underlying assumption of this stereotype is that, in a situation where the potential for sexual intercourse is present, the behavior of a woman is not always an accurate guide of her true desires, for it may suggest resista
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Approximate Word count = 2657
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page)

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