Abortion Politics in the United States and Canada: Studies in Public Opinion

by Marthe A Chandler, Ted G. Jelen

Overview

This edited collection examines various aspects of the explosive abortion issue in the United States and Canada. In both countries, decisions of the national supreme court have made access to legal abortion easier than had previously been the case. This volume looks at the aftermath of Roe v. Wade in the U.S. and Morgantaler v. Regina in Canada. Individual chapters deal with the rhetoric of public discourse, public opinion at the mass level, political reasoning on the part of religious and pro-life activists, and the role of religion in political socialization on the abortion issue. Methodologically, the volume includes survey research, content analysis, participant observation, and political theory. The list of contributors includes some of the leading political scientists and sociologists working in the field.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780275945619
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	06/30/1994
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.56(d)

About the Author

TED G. JELEN is Professor of Political Science at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. He is the author of three books published by Praeger: The Political World of the Clergy (1993), The Political Mobilization of Religious Beliefs (1991), and Religion and American Political Behavior (1989).

MARTHE A. CHANDLER is Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religion at DePauw University in Indiana.

Table of Contents

The Body in Late Capitalism: An Introductory Sketch by John H. Simpson
Seeking a Sociologically Correct Name for Abortion Opponents by James R. Kelly
The Abortion Controversy: Conflicting Beliefs and Values in American Society and within Religious Subgroups by Joseph B. Tamney, Stephen D. Johnson, and Ronald Burton
Abortion and the Popular Press: Mapping Media Discourse From Roe to Webster by Laura Grindstaff
"Where's the Land of Happy?" Individual Meaning and Collective Antiabortion Activism by Carol J. C. Maxwell
Cut From the Whole Cloth: Antiabortion Mobilization among Religious Activists by James L. Guth, Lyman A. Kellstedt, Corwin E. Smidt, and John C. Green
Abortion in the United States and Canada: A Comparative Study of Public Opinion by Marthe A. Chandler, Elizabeth Adell Cook, Ted G. Jelen, and Clyde Wilcox
The Structure of Attitudes toward Body Issues in the American and Canadian Populations: An Elementary Analysis by John H. Simpson
Attitudes toward Abortion and Capital Punishment: Prolife, Prochoice, Seamless Garment, and Inconsistency by Bradley R. Hertel
Conclusion: The Future of the Abortion Debate by Ted G. Jelen

Editorial Reviews

Contains ten essays on beliefs surrounding the abortion controversy. Explores topics such as the body in late capitalism, conflicting beliefs and values about abortion within religious subgroups, abortion and the popular press, anti-abortion mobilization among religious activists, attitudes toward abortion and capital punishment, and a comparative study of public opinion in Canada and the US. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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