Should society accept homosexuality?

This is the question asked by the think tank Pew Research Center to 37,653 people in 39 different countries to draw a survey about the acceptance of homosexuality around the world.
According to this survey, Spain is the country where homosexuality is most accepted: by 88% of respondents. However, we should take into account that such countries as Belgium, Norway, Sweden or The Netherlands, where homosexuality is well accepted, are not included in this survey. Therefore, if this survey was truly global, Spain would probably not rank the first.
The country with most homophobic respondents (again, according to this survey) is Nigeria, with only 1% of acceptance. In fact, five of the six African countries included in this survey show an acceptance degree of less than 8% (Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Senegal and Nigeria), and the sixth (South-African Republic) shows an acceptance of only 32%.
In the Middle East, figures are quite similar: 2% in Tunisia, 3% in Egypt and Jordan and 4% in Palestinian territories, but also 18% in Lebanon and 40% in Israel, where homosexuality is better accepted. However, none of Middle East countries reaches 50% acceptance.
In Latin America, figures seem to be better. Of the seven surveyed countries, only two (Bolivia and El Salvador) show an acceptance of less than 50%. The rest of Latin American countries in this survey (Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico, Chile and Argentina) seem to accept homosexuality much better, although none of them reaches 75%.
In the Asia/Pacific region, homosexuality acceptance is very variable: 79% in Australia or 73% in the Philippines, but 2% in Pakistan or 3% in Indonesia.
Canada and the United States also show a fairly good acceptance of homosexuality: the former by 80% whereas the latter by 60%.
In Europe, it is worth highlighting the case of France, where in six years the level of acceptance dropped from 83% to the current 77%, fruit of the open debate about same-sex marriage and the strong campaigns launched by the extreme right parties against the gay community. On the other hand, figures are reversed in Germany: in five years, homosexuality acceptance has increased from 81% to 87%, ranking number two after Spain, and the third position is for the Czech Republic, with 80%.
The countries with a less stable attitude in relation to homosexuality are South Korea, from 18% to 39%, more than double, and the Unites States, from 49% to 60%, only in five years in both cases. The reverse situation is observed in France, as stated before, and in Turkey (from 14% to 9% due to the governmental campaigns launched by the conservative Islamic party), as well as in the Palestinian territories, from 9% to 4%.

Sources:

1. The Pew Research Center: http://www.pewresearch.org/
2. The global divide on homosexuality report, which you can read online: http://www.pewglobal.org/2013/06/04/the-global-divide-on-homosexuality/

     
    
     
     

A major increase in university fees in Spain

Recently, the increase in university tuition fees is so significant that many students are left out of the education system because they cannot afford such fees.

The University System Observatory (OSU in Spanish and Catalan) published some reports abut the increase of university tuition fees and its effects. Some data:

Spain is the sixth country with the highest tuition fees. Only universities in Portugal, UK, The Netherlands, Italy and Ireland are more expensive than in Spain.

By virtue of the Royal Decree Law 14/2012 passed last year (a bill of education reforms), university students are charged with 15 to 25% of the total cost of their degree. But there is no way to put these costs down into real figures, so regional governments set the price of university fees on the base of different criteria. Catalonia is where tuition fees have increased more significantly, and where master’s degrees and PhD are more expensive:

•    Since 2001, university degrees have risen 84% to 103% more than the retail price index.

•    Since the implementation of European degrees in 2008, these are 71% to 76% more expensive than the retail price index.

•    This year, tuition fees have reached their top increase: a growth of 67% in only one year. This means about 607 € to 949 € per university year.

In the following chart you can see the rise of tuition fees in Catalonia, showing the prices of university degrees in euros:

Sources:

1. The case of a good student who left university because he could not afford tuition fees: http://scientiablog.com/2013/06/07/una-puta-mierda/
2. University System Observatory (OSU): http://www.observatoriuniversitari.org/es/

      

     

      

    

Myths about cancer

Although we are learning more and more things about cancer, there are still some myths and some false ideas about this disease. These wrong concepts about cancer make it more difficult to implement good prevention measures against it. A recent survey of the Catalan section of the Spanish Cancer Association (AECC) reveals some of these false ideas about cancer, which apply to Catalan citizens but may well be extrapolated to most citizens around the world.
Here you have some bits and pieces of this survey:
1. 12% respondents believe that cancer is a disease appearing only in developed countries.
2. 15% respondents do not know that cancer can be prevented. In fact, the AECC considers that 75% to 80% of cancers are due to external factors which can be easily modified to lessen the risk of developing this disease.
3. 13% respondents consider that underwire bras may cause breast cancer.
4. 30% respondents believe that deodorants may cause breast cancer.
5. 10% respondents consider that a hard blow may cause cancer.
6. 22% respondents do not believe that being overweighed or following an unhealthy diet may result in a cancer.
7. 20% respondents do not know that doing physical activity can reduce the risk of developing cancer.

Sources:

1. The survey Myths about cancer drawn by the Catalan section of the Spanish Cancer Association (available in Catalan and Spanish languages): https://www.aecc.es/Nosotros/Dondeestamos/Barcelona/Paginas/Mitesdelcancer.aspx