Fetal Positions: Understanding Cross-National Public Opinion about Abortion

In many countries, abortion is a contentious public opinion issue. In nations like the United States, advocates on both sides of the debate have actively worked to amplify their voices and change legislation. In other parts of the world, such as China, abortion is not a major discussion topic because many residents may see it as a relatively settled issue. Legal developments often move in accordance with changes in public opinion, but not always. What explains differences in public opinion about abortion around the globe? Fetal Positions explores this question using large-scale surveys from most of the world's population, interviews with experts from two case study countries, the US and China, and an analysis of newspaper articles from over forty countries. The book examines the factors influencing cross-national abortion rates and individual abortion decisions, investigates the relationship between attitudes and laws, and explores how personal and national characteristics shape views on abortion. In Fetal Positions, Amy Adamczyk makes the case that abortion disapproval is not randomly distributed across the world. In fact, patterns can be found across nations. Adamczyk shows that cross-national differences in public opinion can largely be explained based on a handful of factors--overall levels of religious belief, Catholic proportion, economic and educational development, type of government and government history, and gender inequality. Latin America, for example, is dominated by Catholicism, has high levels of religious belief, and low levels of abortion support. Conversely, while France and Spain have strong historical connections to the Catholic Church, the proportion who feel that religion is highly important is much lower, and attitudes are more liberal. By offering important insights that can only be gleaned through cross-national analysis, Fetal Positions provides an international focus and fresh perspective on the abortion debate.