The Pro-Choice Movement Organization and Activism in the Abortion Conflict

by Staggenborg, Suzanne

• ISBN13: 9780195089257
• ISBN10: 0195089251
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1994-03-10
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

In this highly-praised analysis of the controversial pro-choice movement, Suzanne Staggenborg traces the development of the movement from its origins through the 1980s. She shows how a small group of activists were able to build on the momentum created by other social movements of the 1960s to win their cause--the legalization of abortion in 1973--and argues that professional leadership and formal organizational structures, together with threats from the anti-abortion movement and grass-roots support, enabled the pro-choice movement to remain an active force even after their primary goal had been achieved.

Author Biography

Suzanne Staggenborg is Associate Professor of Sociology at McGill University.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. vii
Introduction	p. 3
Origins of the Movement to Legalize Abortion	p. 11
The Emergence of the Movement	p. 13
Collective Action Through Established Means	p. 29
Confrontation and Direct Action	p. 43
Surviving the Victory, 1973-1976	p. 55
Movement Maintenance and Reorganization	p. 57
Defending Roe V. Wade	p. 66
Countermovement Victories and Movement Expansion, 1977-1983	p. 79
Organizational Expansion and Transformation	p. 81
Single-Issue Politics	p. 93
The Reproductive Rights Movement	p. 110
The Pro-Choice Movement in the 1980s and Beyond	p. 123
Victory and Survival, 1983-1989	p. 125
The Webster Ruling and Its Aftermath	p. 137
Conclusion	p. 148
Structures and Resources of Pro-Choice Movement Organizations	p. 157
Organizational Newsletters and Documents	p. 180
Interviews with Pro-Choice Activists	p. 186
Notes	p. 188
References	p. 209
Index	p. 219
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