Beyond ProLife and ProChoice:

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Beyond Pro-Life and Pro-Choice

• A Social Constructionist Approach to Abortion
  Attitudes at Saint Marys College

By Laura Frechette
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OVERVIEW

• Introduction
• Literature Review
• Theory and Purpose
• Thesis
• Methods
• Findings
• Discussion

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INTRODUCTION

• Saint Marys College is a all womens, Catholic
  liberal arts institution
• Approximately 1500 women from 47 states and
  territories and 12 foreign countries.
  Multicultural and international students
  represent 9 of the student body

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INTRODUCTION

• Pro-Life
• A political and ethical view which maintains that
  all human beings have the right to life, and
  including fetuses and embryos. Abortion
  infringes on a fetus or embryos human right to
  life.
• Pro-Choice
• It is a pregnant womans human right to control
  the fertility of her own body by choosing whether
  to become pregnant or to carry a pregnancy to
  term.

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LITERATURE REVIEW
Abortion Attitudes

• Affects of Religion
• Catholics for a Free Choice 2003
• College Attitudes
• Bryan and Freed 1992
• Yeager 2005
• Roman and Lester 1999

• National
• Scott and Schuman 1988
• Blake and Del Pinal 1981
• International
• Catholics for a Free Choice 2003
• Affects of Gender
• Phifer and Lester 2000
• Affects of Age
• Boggess and Bradner 2000
• Affects of Race
• Boggess and Bradner 2000
• Ellison, Erevarria, and Smith 2005

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PURPOSE and THESIS

• This study aims at exploring the gap in a
  attitudinal abortion research from a sociological
  standpoint. It also will analyze the how the
  issue of abortion is socially constructed within
  the unique, all womens environment present at
  Saint Marys College.
• In order to better understand how attitudes of a
  social problem are constructed, my senior
  comprehension will investigate how social
  construction theory can be applied to a social
  problem, such as the controversy surrounding
  abortion.

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THEORY

• Social Construction Theory
• Donileen Loseke 2003

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METHODS

• A random sample of First-Years and Seniors that
  the interviewer did not know was created using
  the on-line directory and a random number program
  on a TI-83 Calculator.
• Chosen students were e-mailed and interviews were
  arranged.

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METHODS

• Pros
• Random sample
• Cons
• The students eligible for interviews in the
  senior class was affected by the interviewer
  being a senior.
• Non-response

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METHODS

• Interviews ranged between four to twenty minutes,
  with the average time was approximately ten
  minutes
• Interviews consisted of 14 open ended questions.
• 13 Interviews were conducted, 7 Seniors and 6
  First-years

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FINDINGS Introduction to Abortion

• 84.6 (11/13) of respondents were first exposed
  to abortion in a class room setting, usually in a
  religious context.
• They the religion teachers taught us their
  side about it and the bad things about it you
  know how it is killing a life, it is kinda sad.

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FINDINGS Formulating Attitudes

• 84.6 (11/13) of respondents attributed their
  family as a major contribution to their views of
  abortion.
• 38.5 (5/13) of specifically stated that their
  mother taught them the most about abortion
• My mom taught me the most about abortion. She
  said it should be your decision, but we really
  dont believe in it because of our religion.

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FINDINGS Formulating Attitudes

• 69(9/13) of respondents and their families were
  Roman Catholic
• I believe the Catholic faith is definitely
  against it, and after having conversations with
  family, I know its definitely something my family
  is personally against.

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FINDINGSConsequence of Personal Experience on
Familys Attitudes

• 15.3 (2/13) of respondents with Personal
  Experience in their families
• Im not pro-choice or pro-life, Im in between.
  Im not for killing babies, but I do believe that
  women have the right to choosehaving a family
  member go through it definitely makes you decide
  how you really feel

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FINDINGSConsequence of Personal Experience on
Familys Attitudes

• One respondents family member was a victim of
  rape, but instead of having an abortion, she
  delivered the baby and gave it up for adoption.
• Giving birth to her child was the best way to
  get rid of the feelings from her rape. She felt
  that the birth healed her from the rape.

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FINDINGS Changing Attitudes

• 100 of Seniors views had changed during their
  lifetime.
• 71.4 attributed the change to Saint Marys
  College.
• Out of these women, 28.6 specifically mentioned
  women studies classes they had taken.
• I have always been going back in forth,
  struggling with the Catholic views concerning
  abortion, but I also took a womens studies class
  here, and seeing that, that side of it, it made
  me think about the other point of view.

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FINDINGS Changing Attitudes

• 66.7 (4/6) of First-Years views had changed
  during their lifetime.
• 33.4 (2/6) attributed the change to education on
  the subject.
• 16.7 (1/6) said that Saint Marys changed her
  views during her 3 months she has attended Saint
  Marys College
• I use to be totally against it. But probably a
  month ago all the sudden, I mean I dont think
  its right, but at the same time, its a womens
  body and its just, during the 1st month or so, I
  mean its still bad to me and I would never do
  it, but I am not as judgmental towards people
  that do because obviously they have their
  reasons.

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FINDINGS Respondents Current Attitudes Towards
Abortion

• 42.9 (3/7) Seniors and 33.3 (2/6) First-Years
  described themselves as Pro-Life. However,
  28.6 (2/7) Seniors and 16.7 (1/6) First-Years
  said Pro-Life but continued with except in the
  case of rape or incest.
• 33.3(2/6) of First-Years described that they
  believed abortion was killing an innocent life.
• 0 of respondents identified themselves as
  Pro-Choice.
• 28.6 (2/7) Seniors and 16.7 (1/6) First-Years
  believed in the womens right to choose.
• 28.6 (2/7) Seniors and 16.7 (1/6) First-Years
  expressed that though they would not have one
  themselves, they disagree that it should be
  illegalized.

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Im not pro-life or pro-choice. Im between.
FINDINGS Respondents Current Attitudes Towards
Abortion
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DISCUSSION

• Social Construction Major Factors
• Family
• Religion
• Personal Experience
• Education, Particularly College
• Allows Individual to Formulate Individual
  Attitudes
• New Environment
• New Attitudes, and Claims

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FURTHER RESEARCH

• Interview women had an unplanned pregnancy to
  target their deciding factors
• Interview Pro-Life and Pro-Choice advocates and
  code their claims
• Content analysis of Propaganda of Claims-Makers

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QUESTIONS?