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Social Movements
Abortion Politics
Abortion has remained one of the most volatile and polarizing issues in the United States for over four decades. Americans are more divided today than ever over abortion, and this debate colors the political, economic, and social dynamics of the country.
This book provides a balanced, clear-eyed overview of the abortion debate, including the perspectives of both the pro-life and pro-choice movements. It covers the history of the debate from colonial times to the present, the mobilization of mass movements around the issue, the ways it is understood by ordinary Americans, the impact it has had on US political development, and the differences between the abortion conflict in the US and the rest of the world. Throughout these discussions, Ziad Munson demonstrates how the meaning of abortion has shifted to reflect the changing anxieties and cultural divides which it has come to represent.
Abortion Politics is an invaluable companion for exploring the abortion issue and what it has to say about American society, as well as the dramatic changes in public understanding of women's rights, medicine, religion, and partisanship.
This book provides a balanced, clear-eyed overview of the abortion debate, including the perspectives of both the pro-life and pro-choice movements. It covers the history of the debate from colonial times to the present, the mobilization of mass movements around the issue, the ways it is understood by ordinary Americans, the impact it has had on US political development, and the differences between the abortion conflict in the US and the rest of the world. Throughout these discussions, Ziad Munson demonstrates how the meaning of abortion has shifted to reflect the changing anxieties and cultural divides which it has come to represent.
Abortion Politics is an invaluable companion for exploring the abortion issue and what it has to say about American society, as well as the dramatic changes in public understanding of women's rights, medicine, religion, and partisanship.
- GenresPolitics
200 pages, Paperback
Published April 23, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 17, 2022
Finding something that can represent both sides without launching into a bitter diatribe against on or the other when it comes to reading about Abortion and Pro-Life vs Pro-Choice is very difficult but Ziad Munson succeeds admirably. He traces the history of abortion and the rise of it as a topic vis a vis the Catholic Church and AMA and eventually seeping into politics culminating in the great switch of Pro-Choice and Pro-Life from the democrats to the republicans. The rise of the Christian or Evangelical right has helped to crystalize this debate with the Pro-Choice crowd becoming a reactionary force in the post wade/Dalton world. Munson does briefly reference the views of abortion in other countries but focuses primarily on the United States. He spends some time looking at the increasing polarization in the United States over abortion as one of many factors leading to that polarization. He assess the viewpoints of American’s on abortion as much more nuanced then simply for or against and does a great job discussing various surveys and their results or biases based upon question formation. Overall, a very quick and well laid out discussion of abortion politics that for those looking for a well-reasoned and fair look will appreciate.
June 22, 2019
I read this as a follow-up to Abortion and the Politics of Motherhood by Kristin Luker. The latter book is fine, and is referred to several times in the former book, but I felt the need to read something more up to date. Interestingly, not much has changed in the abortion debate since the Luker book other than perhaps the continued rise of the religious right. At any rate, both books are fine reads.
June 7, 2021
Very informative and well-researched, but I do think it was biased and its attacks on pregnancy centers unwarranted. Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions about them, and even in this supposedly unbiased book lies are repeated. Knocked off two stars for that reason.
But this gave me a lot of insights into the social dynamics surrounding peoples' beliefs on abortion
But this gave me a lot of insights into the social dynamics surrounding peoples' beliefs on abortion
April 14, 2019
Abortion Politics delivers an informative account of the history of abortion in the United States. This book serves as an excellent resource to its readers in learning about the pro-life and pro-choice sides of the abortion debate, plus the history of abortion and the debate surrounding it. In reviewing this book, the principal criteria include quality of content, organization/clarity, and relevance to the study of politics and government. Abortion Politics provides a clear analysis of the controversy surrounding abortion and its relationship to politics making this a worthwhile read, regardless of your stance on abortion.
Starting with describing the book itself, the author makes very clear that rather than becoming a part of the debate, this book is about the debate and how both sides interact with one another and construct this debate. The reader is taken on a journey through the history of the abortion debate and the development of the two movements, pro-life and pro-choice. Munson explains the politics of the abortion issue addressing public attitudes, American views, and then views from other countries compared to America. The author discusses how the abortion controversy interacts with other social classifications, such as race and class, and how the meaning of abortion has changed over time so one can not really predict where the controversy will be years from now.
The content of Abortion Politics is highly engaging and demonstrates the author’s sheer knowledge on the topic. The content is not only interesting, but it is complete and thorough. When finishing the book, the reader isn’t left in confusion. The author covers the subject from all angles and is also careful not to show bias or lean towards one side of the debate. He is very truthful when describing the book in the introduction as being about the debate, rather than a part of it. Most chapters have graphs, tables, and other visuals that help in putting the facts or analysis the author is presenting in perspective for the reader. The tone of the book feels educational; facts are often used to describe the different aspects of the abortion debate, and the author’s analysis is usually surrounding the abortion debate itself and the relationship of the different aspects, avoiding inserting his own opinion. It is a fantastic and informative read even for the most dedicated activists on either side of the debate, this book is an excellent resource to get the information while avoiding bias.
The organization of Abortion Politics allows the reader to easily follow the evolution of the abortion debate, and this helps the reader in their understanding of the content. The book is divided into seven chapters. Opening with a very clear introduction in the first chapter, Munson informs the reader of what they should be expecting throughout the book through a brief overview. The book progresses through the construction of the controversy that surrounds abortion, the dynamics between pro-choice and pro-life, public attitudes, abortion in the American political context, American exceptionalism, and finally the changes in abortion politics. Before getting to the debate itself, the author provides a lot of context in the first few chapters; addressing the history of abortion and the debate surrounding it. Putting the historical information in the beginning provides a pretext for readers who might not know much about the issue and for those who know a small amount but want to know more. By the end, the reader understands the history, the opposite sides of the debate, the impact of abortion on American politics, and can hopefully construct their own opinion on the controversy.
Abortion Politics remains incredibly relevant and important to the study of politics and government. Munson addresses how abortion has impacted American politics thoroughly; he demonstrates this by discussing the cultural shifts that reflect this impact. Many people are truly invested in each side of the debate and have taken respective legislative action for their side. The meaning of abortion has constantly changed over time, but it has only become a more prominent debate for the entire country It is an extremely polarizing issue in the United States, but Munson attacks it with complete balance and neutrality. Abortion in America is unique from other countries in that there is still a widespread debate. Activists on both sides are extremely adamant about their position, with those not completely agreeing with either side in between them, something Munson calls the “mushy middle.” While Munson describes that abortion is not an issue that drives people to make a particular voting choice, each party traditionally takes up opposite sides of the issue. Democrats usually are pro-choice, while Republicans are pro-life. It wasn’t always quite this way, but Munson does an excellent job at describing the changes in these positions in American politics and the importance of these shifts.
This book is significant because it provides a clear, historical look at abortion from both sides without being biased, which is rare in such a polarized time. Because of this polarization, this book would prove a valuable resource to readers who want to learn more about abortion from a neutral standpoint. Although I have a particular stance, Abortion Politics discussed even more issues that I hadn’t been exposed to. It is a great contribution to the study of American Politics.
Starting with describing the book itself, the author makes very clear that rather than becoming a part of the debate, this book is about the debate and how both sides interact with one another and construct this debate. The reader is taken on a journey through the history of the abortion debate and the development of the two movements, pro-life and pro-choice. Munson explains the politics of the abortion issue addressing public attitudes, American views, and then views from other countries compared to America. The author discusses how the abortion controversy interacts with other social classifications, such as race and class, and how the meaning of abortion has changed over time so one can not really predict where the controversy will be years from now.
The content of Abortion Politics is highly engaging and demonstrates the author’s sheer knowledge on the topic. The content is not only interesting, but it is complete and thorough. When finishing the book, the reader isn’t left in confusion. The author covers the subject from all angles and is also careful not to show bias or lean towards one side of the debate. He is very truthful when describing the book in the introduction as being about the debate, rather than a part of it. Most chapters have graphs, tables, and other visuals that help in putting the facts or analysis the author is presenting in perspective for the reader. The tone of the book feels educational; facts are often used to describe the different aspects of the abortion debate, and the author’s analysis is usually surrounding the abortion debate itself and the relationship of the different aspects, avoiding inserting his own opinion. It is a fantastic and informative read even for the most dedicated activists on either side of the debate, this book is an excellent resource to get the information while avoiding bias.
The organization of Abortion Politics allows the reader to easily follow the evolution of the abortion debate, and this helps the reader in their understanding of the content. The book is divided into seven chapters. Opening with a very clear introduction in the first chapter, Munson informs the reader of what they should be expecting throughout the book through a brief overview. The book progresses through the construction of the controversy that surrounds abortion, the dynamics between pro-choice and pro-life, public attitudes, abortion in the American political context, American exceptionalism, and finally the changes in abortion politics. Before getting to the debate itself, the author provides a lot of context in the first few chapters; addressing the history of abortion and the debate surrounding it. Putting the historical information in the beginning provides a pretext for readers who might not know much about the issue and for those who know a small amount but want to know more. By the end, the reader understands the history, the opposite sides of the debate, the impact of abortion on American politics, and can hopefully construct their own opinion on the controversy.
Abortion Politics remains incredibly relevant and important to the study of politics and government. Munson addresses how abortion has impacted American politics thoroughly; he demonstrates this by discussing the cultural shifts that reflect this impact. Many people are truly invested in each side of the debate and have taken respective legislative action for their side. The meaning of abortion has constantly changed over time, but it has only become a more prominent debate for the entire country It is an extremely polarizing issue in the United States, but Munson attacks it with complete balance and neutrality. Abortion in America is unique from other countries in that there is still a widespread debate. Activists on both sides are extremely adamant about their position, with those not completely agreeing with either side in between them, something Munson calls the “mushy middle.” While Munson describes that abortion is not an issue that drives people to make a particular voting choice, each party traditionally takes up opposite sides of the issue. Democrats usually are pro-choice, while Republicans are pro-life. It wasn’t always quite this way, but Munson does an excellent job at describing the changes in these positions in American politics and the importance of these shifts.
This book is significant because it provides a clear, historical look at abortion from both sides without being biased, which is rare in such a polarized time. Because of this polarization, this book would prove a valuable resource to readers who want to learn more about abortion from a neutral standpoint. Although I have a particular stance, Abortion Politics discussed even more issues that I hadn’t been exposed to. It is a great contribution to the study of American Politics.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews