Cultural Differences in the Abortion Discourse of the Catholic Church: Evidence from Four Countries
Abstract
This essay investigates the cultural themes used by the Catholic Church in arguing against abortion in four different countries: Ireland, Poland, the U.S., and England & Wales. The focus is whether the Church differentiates its use of cultural arguments in accordance with its insider/outsider institutional status, or the contested nature of the abortion policy-making environment. The prevalence of women-oriented themes is also explored. I find that in each country the Church draws more heavily on cultural than on doctrinal sources of legitimation, and exhibits a strong similarity in the sorts of cultural arguments used. There is a significant difference in the patterned appeal to national identity in the U.S. and Poland, and its absence in England and Ireland.
Department
Sociology
Publication Date
3-1-1996
Journal Title
Sociology of Religion
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Document Type
Article
Recommended Citation
Michele Dillon. 1996. "Cultural Differences in the Abortion Discourse of the Catholic Church: Evidence from Four Countries." Sociology of Religion50.29166666666666725-36.
Rights
© 1996 Association for the Sociology of Religion