The "abortion imaginary": Shared perceptions and personal representations among everyday Americans

Area of Science:

• Sociology
• Social Psychology
• Reproductive Health Studies

Background:

• The concept of the
• Social imaginary
• provides a framework for understanding shared cultural understandings.
• Previous research highlights the social and cultural factors influencing reproductive health decisions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and define the
• abortion imaginary
• as a distinct social construct.
• To identify the key facets of the U.S. abortion imaginary.
• To explore how personal contact with abortion patients influences perceptions.

Main Methods:

• Conducted 217 in-depth interviews.
• Utilized the theoretical framework of the
• social imaginary
• .
• Applied principles of contact theory.

Main Results:

• Identified four facets of the U.S. abortion imaginary: maternal inevitability, economic decision-making, relationship precarity, and emotional fragility.
• Demonstrated that perceptions of abortion patients are polarized.
• Found significant differences in opinions between individuals who know someone who has had an abortion and those who do not.

Conclusions:

• The
• abortion imaginary
• is a complex set of shared understandings that shapes public opinion.
• Personal experiences and
• exemplars
• play a crucial role in shaping these imaginaries.
• Divergent opinions on abortion can coexist within a broader, shared cultural framework.