Examines some of the motives and interests of those involved in the abortion debate. The authors explore various aspects of the sociopolitical context of abortion in the beginning with the pro-life agenda that is designed to impede access to abortion. After considering the strategies and tactics that are used to advance that agenda and that intensify and shape the nature of the controversies surrounding abortion issues, the authors consider inter-relationships among feminist perspectives, women's roles, and attitudes toward abortion. The authors present research findings on relationships among abortion attitudes and attitudes toward other social issues and groups, including how they differ on the basis of religion, race, and class. The authors consider how opinion poll research may have created distortions in the picture of public attitudes toward abortion and of the women who have abortions, and conclude with some thoughts and recommendations about where we go from here.
