From Fire and Brimstone to Property Values: The Changing Style of Arguments against Pornographic Industries, Atlanta, 1969–1997

Abstract

Previous literature on moral reform has, with some notable exceptions, focused on the generation of moralistic sentiment, rather than the rhetoric through which it is deployed. This analysis adds an important coda to this literature by drawing further attention to the distinction between content and style when assessing moral-reform arguments. Examining every argument ( N = 540) made against a pornographic business in Atlanta, Georgia, from 1969 to 1997, as indexed by articles in the city's major newspaper, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, it argues that the tendency to frame antipornography arguments in instrumental terms exists throughout the years of the study, but it becomes more pronounced over time. A compelling explanation for the shift in rhetoric is that individuals still valued morality in the 1980s and 1990s but framed their arguments in ways that maximized their efficacy, policy wise. Implications of these findings for broader sociological issues are discussed.