Fetal Positions Understanding Cross-National Public Opinion about Abortion

by Adamczyk, Amy

• ISBN13: 9780197761052
• ISBN10: 0197761054
• eBook ISBN(s): 9780197761076
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2025-02-24
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• More Book Details

Summary

In many countries, abortion is a contentious public opinion issue. In nations like the United States, advocates on both sides of the debate have actively worked to amplify their voices and change legislation. In other parts of the world, such as China, abortion is not a major discussion topic because many residents may see it as a relatively settled issue. Legal developments often move in accordance with changes in public opinion, but not always. What explains differences in public opinion about abortion around the globe?

Fetal Positions explores this question using large-scale surveys from most of the world's population, interviews with experts from two case study countries, the US and China, and an analysis of newspaper articles from over forty countries. The book examines the factors influencing cross-national abortion rates and individual abortion decisions, investigates the relationship between attitudes and laws, and explores how personal and national characteristics shape views on abortion.

In Fetal Positions, Amy Adamczyk makes the case that abortion disapproval is not randomly distributed across the world. In fact, patterns can be found across nations. Adamczyk shows that cross-national differences in public opinion can largely be explained based on a handful of factors--overall levels of religious belief, Catholic proportion, economic and educational development, type of government and government history, and gender inequality. Latin America, for example, is dominated by Catholicism, has high levels of religious belief, and low levels of abortion support. Conversely, while France and Spain have strong historical connections to the Catholic Church, the proportion who feel that religion is highly important is much lower, and attitudes are more liberal. By offering important insights that can only be gleaned through cross-national analysis, Fetal Positions provides an international focus and fresh perspective on the abortion debate.

Author Biography

Amy Adamczyk is Professor of Sociology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the Sociology and Criminal Justice Doctoral Programs at The Graduate Center, City University of New York. Her research focuses on how different contexts and personal religious beliefs shape people's deviant, moral, and health-related attitudes and behaviors. Her first book, Public Opinion about Homosexuality: Examining Attitudes Across the Globe, won the Outstanding Book Award from the International Section of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1. Religion and Abortion Attitudes

2. The Role of Economics and Education in Shaping Public Opinion about Abortion

3. Democracy, Laws, and Policy in Shaping Abortion Views

4. Gender Equality, Social Movement Activity, and Race for Understanding Views about Abortion

5. Communism, Confucianism, Cultural Values and Survey Challenges for Understanding Abortion Attitudes

6. Investigating Cross-National Abortion Behavior and Its Relationship with Attitudes

Conclusion

Appendix A: Appendix A: WVS analysis

Appendix B: Appendix B: Newspaper analysis

Appendix C: Additional Indicators Considered for Explaining Survey Respondent's Abortion Disapproval in Multivariate Mixed-Models

Appendix D: Regression analysis of the cross-national factors shaping rates of unintended pregnancy and abortions of unintended pregnancies

Bibliography

Index