A Qualitative Examination of Women's Abortion Experiences
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University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository Master's Theses and Capstones Student Scholarship Fall 2006 Talking about abortion: A qualitative examination of women's abortion experiences Diana L. Dumais University of New Hampshire, Durham Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/thesis Recommended Citation Dumais, Diana L., "Talking about abortion: A qualitative examination of women's abortion experiences" (2006). Master's Theses and Capstones. 27. https://scholars.unh.edu/thesis/27 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses and Capstones by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. TALKING ABOUT ABORTION: A QUALITATIVE EXAMINATION OF WOMEN’S ABORTION EXPERIENCES BY Diana L. Dumais B.A. Psychology, Keene State College, 2000 THESIS Submitted to the University of New Hampshire In Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts In Sociology September 2006 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 1437627 INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. ® UMI UMI Microform 1437627 Copyright 2006 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. This thesis has been examined and approved. Thesis Director, Michele Dillon, Professor of Sociology inda Blum, Associate Professor of Sociology James ;er, Associate Professor of Sociology J^an Elspn, Assistant rnSfessor of Sociology Bhlot Date I Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION....................................................................................................................vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.................................................................................................vii ABSTRACT.....................................................................................................................viii CHAPTER PAGE INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................1 I. LITERATURE REVIEW.............................................................................................8 A. The Abortion Debate: Before Roe v. Wade ......................................................8 B. Roe v. Wade and Beyond .................................................................................12 C. Abortion Attitudes ............................................................................................17 D. Pro-Life and Pro-Choice Viewpoints .............................................................. 22 E. Is Compromise Possible? .................................................................................24 F. Emotional Responses to Abortion ................................................................... 27 G. Gaps in the Literature.......................................................................................30 II. METHODS................................................................................................................31 A. Sample..............................................................................................................32 B. Data Analysis...................................................................................................35 C. Limitations of the Methodology ..................................................................... 36 III. THE ABORTION EXPERIENCE: FEMINIST IDEOLOGY AND ACTIVISM...............................................................................................................38 iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. IV. RELIGION AND THE ABORTION EXPERIENCE..............................................55 A. Praying for Forgiveness ................ 56 B. Religion as Irrelevant ...................................*..................................................62 C. Rejection of Religion .................................... 66 D. Running the Gamut of Religious Experience ..................................................70 V. SOCIAL SUPPORT AND THE ABORTION EXPERIENCE................................82 ! A. Family Support.......................................... 84 B. Partial Support..................................................................................................90 C. Telling the Secret .............................................................................................92 D. The Absence of Family Support.................................................... 95 E. Non-Support..............................................4................................................... 100 VI. THE EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE OF ABORTION..........................................107 A. Abortion Without Conflict .............................................................................107 B. Faces of Conflict: Temporary Doubt ............................................................I ll C. Guilt, Punishment, and Forgiveness ..............................................................I ll D. Ambivalence and Regret..................................................... 115 E. Dissonance ......................................................................................................117 F. What Constitutes Life? ...................................................................................117 G. Missed Opportunities.....................................................................................119 H. An Opportunity to Grow................................................................................121 I. An Ounce of Prevention ..................................................................................121 J. A New Lease on Life ......................................................................................122 iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. VII. CONCLUSION.................................... ..............................................................126 A. Feminist Ideology and Activism ...........................................................126 B. Religion and the Abortion Experience ...........................................................128 C. Abortion and Social Support ..........................................................................129 D. The Emotional Experience of Abortion .........................................................130 E. Limitations of the Research ............................................................................131 F. Theoretical Implications and Suggestions for Further Research ....................131 REFERENCES................................................................................................................134 APPENDIX A: SUMMARY OF KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF INTERVIEWEES................................................................................................140 APPENDIX B: INSTITIONAL REVIEW BOARD FOR THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS IN RESEARCH AUTHORIZATION.........................................141 v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to the memory of my aunt, Alison Wiggin, who inspired and encouraged me more than I was ever able to let her know. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge the Sociology Department faculty for all of their help and guidance with this thesis, some of whom went above and beyond the call of duty to convince me that I would indeed finish. In particular, I would like to thank my committee members, Linda Blum, Jean Elson, and James Tucker for their support and feedback throughout the writing process. I appreciate your patience, kindness, and encouragement. I would like to thank my thesis chair and advisor, Michele Dillon. Michele has been a constant source of support and inspiration to me since I arrived at UNH. She has had an overwhelmingly amount of faith in me throughout my graduate education and at times has believed in me more than I believed in myself. She continually challenges me to reach beyond my own expectations and for that I am forever grateful. I owe a debt of gratitude to my Mom and Dad—Thank you for enabling me to spend my summer on this project; without that time, I do not know what I would have done. I would like to thank all of my friends