The Abortion Controversy: Conflicting Beliefs and Values in American Society

Abstract

This study examines the ideological and structural bases for attitudes and political action relating to abortion. Data on abortion attitudes from a random sample of Middletown in the fall of 1989 (N = 400) indicated that the strongest effects on abortion attitude stemmed from a belief that life begins at conception, a belief in privacy rights, and religion. Social traditionalism was also found to play an important role in a pro-life stand, but it was influential only for conservative Protestants and not for Catholics. A general commitment to avoid taking anyone's life was significantly related to abortion attitudes but only for Catholics. For political action, the data showed that the pro-life movement was still more important in 1989 than was the pro-choice movement. Party identification was not related to an expressed willingness to use abortion as a political litmus test, but attending pro-life churches did increase the likelihood that pro-life adherents would use abortion in making voting decisions.