Contrary Convictions: Race and Subjectivity in Public Opinion on the O.J. Simpson Criminal Trial

Abstract

In the pair of studies reported here, we probe the operant subjectivity at
play in public opinion on the Simpson saga - in the process amplifying
our understanding of the role of race, among other things, in the
diversified accounts taking shape on the spectacle as a whole. Results
reveal a three-fold set of meanings for the case at both pre-trial and
post-verdict points in time. These contrasting constructions of the same
set of events are examined in light of their defining themes and their
affinities to the racial identities of their proponents. A concluding
discussion takes stock of the simultaneously complementary and
incommensurate relationship of these results to findings from scores of
surveys seeking to gauge public opinion on the case.