What are the contributing factors on what society finds acceptable?

Question

I find it amazing that in Ancient Greece and Rome homosexuality was not looked down upon, while today many still have a problem with it. One hundred years ago the amount of sexuality that is shown in a PG-13 movie would have been found offensive to adults. What causes the change in how and what we think about issues like these?

Answer 1

Folks tend to change cycles on this one (as time marches on, century to culture) and the status quo is always in a state of flux, with changes in population, oppression, enlightenment and education being just a handful of the numerous variables. Religious too, but I'm not going there. Morality simply is not constant. Never has been.

Answer 2

What has worked historically and what they believe has worked historically is a major factor.

Those who practice something that doesn't work aren't likely to survive long...

Answer 3

The authorties that make those decisions. Whether it is political, religious, or educational, the authorites strongly influence what society finds acceptable. Whomever they are they develop their own opinions based upon the beliefs they've been bought up believe and force that reality onto us.