Re-Thinking Abortion

Re-Thinking Abortionoffers an incisive and original analysis of the abortion debates, abortion legislation and of women's and men's experience of abortion. In the past, abortion hasn't often been addressed in psychological theory. Mary Boyle finds, however, that among the law-making body (largely male) the concept of gender is central to the formulation of abortion legislation. In a detailed study of legislative debates spanning thirty years, she finds that many implicit assumptions about women and doctors underlie the content of abortion law. By acknowledging how social policy can be so influenced, we can begin to set some constructive ways forward.