The Anti-Abortion Campaign in England, 1966-1989 (Routledge Research in Gender and History)

This book comprises a history of the anti-abortion campaign in England, focusing on the period 1966-1989, which saw the highest concentration of anti-abortion activity during the twentieth century. It examines the tactics deployed by campaigners in their efforts to overturn the 1967 Abortion Act. Key themes include the influence of religion on attitudes towards sexuality and pregnancy; representations of women and the female body; and the varied, and often deeply contested, attitudes towards the status of the fetus articulated by both anti-abortion and pro-choice advocates during the years 1966-1989. "This book comprises a history of the anti-abortion campaign in England, focusing on the period 1966-1989, which saw the highest concentration of anti-abortion activity during the twentieth century. It examines the tactics deployed by campaigners in their efforts to overturn the 1967 Abortion Act. Key themes include the influence of religion on attitudes towards sexuality and pregnancy; representations of women, and the female body; and the varied, and often deeply contested, attitudes towards the status of the fetus articulated by both anti-abortion and pro-choice advocates during the years 1966-89"-- Provided by publisher Cover Half Title Series Title Copyright Dedication Contents List of figures Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations Introduction 1 Abortion in England 2 Abortion and Permissiveness in Parliament 3 Babies for Burning: The Realities of Implementation 4 Anti-Abortion Propaganda and the James White Bill 5 Defining ‘Pro-Life’: The David Alton Bill 6 One Body or Two?: Understandings of Embodiment and Personhood in Pro-Life Discourse Conclusion Bibliography Index This is the first history of the anti-abortion campaign in England, focusing on 1966-1989, which saw the highest concentration of anti-abortion activity during the 20th century. It examines tactics used by campaigners, politicians and the media in their efforts to overturn the 1967 Abortion Act.