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Sex and attitude toward abortion

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Page 1: Sex and attitude toward abortion. What might “cause” or “explain” Americans’ changing attitude toward abortion?

Sex and attitude toward abortion

Page 2: Sex and attitude toward abortion. What might “cause” or “explain” Americans’ changing attitude toward abortion?

What might “cause” or “explain” Americans’ changing attitude toward abortion?

Page 3: Sex and attitude toward abortion. What might “cause” or “explain” Americans’ changing attitude toward abortion?

The circumstances under which abortion may occur seem to be important for many Americans

Circumstance 

Frequency Percent

Yes No Total Yes No Total

There is a strong chance of serious defect in the baby

24,487 5,553 30,040 82% 18% 100.00%

Mother is married but wants no more children

13,204 16,675 29,879 44% 56% 100.00%

Woman’s health is seriously endangered by the pregnancy

27,187 2,985 30,172 90% 10% 100.00%

Mother is low income and can’t afford more children

14,487 15,322 29,809 49% 51% 100.00%

Mother is pregnant as result of rape

24,691 5,125 29,816 83% 17% 100.00%

Woman is single and doesn’t want to marry the man

13,450 16,331 29,781 45% 55% 100.00%

 TOTAL 117,506 61,991 179,49765% 35% 100.00%

Source of data: General Social Survey, 1972 to 1998.

Page 4: Sex and attitude toward abortion. What might “cause” or “explain” Americans’ changing attitude toward abortion?

Support for some circumstances seems to be relatively constant over time but not for others

… but why the big difference between the 3 data series at the top of the graphand the 4 in the middle?

Page 5: Sex and attitude toward abortion. What might “cause” or “explain” Americans’ changing attitude toward abortion?

Sex as an explanation?

Frequency Distribution

Cells contain:  sex    

-Column percent  

     

-N of cases   Row total

    MALE FEMALE

Pregnancy was a result

of rape YES 83.8 81.7 82.6

    12,036 14,785 26,821

  NO 16.2 18.3 17.4

    2,328 3,321 5,649

 Column total 100.0 100.0 100.0

    14,364 18,106 32,470

Page 6: Sex and attitude toward abortion. What might “cause” or “explain” Americans’ changing attitude toward abortion?

Frequency Distribution

Cells contain:  

sex    

-Column percent  

     

-N of cases   Row total

    MALE FEMALE

Serious chance of defect in the baby YES 81.8 80.9 81.3

    11,808 14,779 26,587

  NO 18.2 19.1 18.7

    2,627 3,496 6,123

  Col total 100.0 100.0 100

    14,435 18,275  

Sex as an explanation?

Page 7: Sex and attitude toward abortion. What might “cause” or “explain” Americans’ changing attitude toward abortion?

Sex as an explanation?

Frequency Distribution

Cells contain:   sex    

-Column percent  

   

-N of cases  Row total

    MALEFEMAL

E

Mother’s health is seriously

endangered YES 91.2 89.1 90.1

  

13,271 16,321 29,592

  NO 8.8 10.9 9.9

    1,278 1,988 3,266

  Col total 100.0 100.0 100.0

   14,54

9 18,309 32,858

Page 8: Sex and attitude toward abortion. What might “cause” or “explain” Americans’ changing attitude toward abortion?

Sex as an explanation?Frequency Distribution

Cells contain:  

sex    

-Column percent  

     

-N of cases   Row total

    MALE FEMALE

Woman is poor and

can’t afford more

children YES 49.7 46.9 48.1

    7,125 8,507 15,632

  NO 50.3 53.1 51.9

    7,214 9,628 16,842

  Col total 100.0 100.0 100.0

    14,339 18,135 32,474

Page 9: Sex and attitude toward abortion. What might “cause” or “explain” Americans’ changing attitude toward abortion?

Sex as an explanation?

Frequency Distribution

Cells contain:   sex    

-Column percent  

     

-N of cases  

MALE FEMALE

Row total

   

Mother is single YES 46.6 43.3 44.7

    6,674 7,843 14,517

  NO 53.4 56.7 55.3

    7,654 10,272 17,926

 Col

total 100.0 100.0 100.0

    14,328 18,115 32,443

Page 10: Sex and attitude toward abortion. What might “cause” or “explain” Americans’ changing attitude toward abortion?

What about political philosophy?

Political philosophy

Serious danger to the mother’s health

Strong chance of serious defect in the

baby

Pregnancy was the result of rape

Male Female Male Female Male Female

Extremely liberal 93.3 93.6 86.2 88.7 87.1 86.5

Liberal 92.9 94.0 85.4 88.1 87.2 89.1

Slightly liberal 94.1 93.0 85.2 86.8 88.7 87.5

Moderate 92.4 90.8 84.7 84.4 86.0 84.4

Slightly conservative 92.0 88.4 82.4 79.0 85.3 80.6

Conservative 87.8 83.7 73.6 69.0 77.3 71.1

Extremely conservative 84.6 76.0 69.4 61.1 70.3 63.0

“Under what circumstances do you think a woman should be ableto obtain a legal abortion in your state…?”Percent responding “yes.”

Page 11: Sex and attitude toward abortion. What might “cause” or “explain” Americans’ changing attitude toward abortion?

Political philosophy

Woman is poor and can’t afford

any more children

Woman is married and

doesn’t want any more children

Woman is single

For any reason

Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female

Extremely liberal 64.0 66.7 62.6 62.2 62.8 63.4 57.9 63.9

Liberal 61.1 64.8 59.1 61.6 58.4 60.7 55.4 58.3

Slightly liberal 57.5 58.6 54.6 53.4 55.2 54.6 49.3 50.3

Moderate 49.0 46.3 45.6 42.0 45.2 42.7 40.5 39.0

Slightly conservative 47.6 42.0 45.2 37.4 45.4 38.7 38.9 34.5

Conservative 38.0 33.5 35.3 29.7 36.1 31.8 30.2 26.7

Extremely conservative 38.0 33.5 34.6 22.3 35.6 24.0 31.7 17.0

“Under what circumstances do you think a woman should be able to obtain a legal abortion in your state…?”Percent responding “yes.”

Page 12: Sex and attitude toward abortion. What might “cause” or “explain” Americans’ changing attitude toward abortion?

What about sex AND political philosophy?

Page 13: Sex and attitude toward abortion. What might “cause” or “explain” Americans’ changing attitude toward abortion?