Description
Book SynopsisExamining the changing pluralities of contemporary abortion debate in Britain, this innovative and important book shows why it is necessary to move beyond an understanding of abortion politics as characterised in binary terms by ‘pro-choice’ versus ‘pro-life’. Amery traces the evolution of political and parliamentary discourses from the passage of the Abortion Act in the 1960s to the present day, and argues that the current provision of abortion in Britain rests on assumptions about medical authority over women’s reproductive decision-making which are unsustainable. She explores new arguments around sex-selective abortion, disability rights, pre-abortion counselling and the push for decriminalization, and radically reconceptualizes the debate to account for these new battlegrounds in abortion politics.
Trade Review“An innovative text in the field of reproductive justice literature, Amery provides a sophisticated account of the intricacies of the abortion debate for both students of Politics and Gender Studies and practitioners.” Sarah Cooper, University of Exeter
Table of Contents1. Introduction 2. Regulating the female body 3. Passing the Abortion Act 4. Feminism enters the debate 5. Backlash and appropriation 6. Into the 21st century 7. Towards decriminalisation? New battlegrounds in abortion politics 8. Conclusion
