The Pro-Choice Movement: Organization and Activism in the Abortion Conflict

CONTENTS......Page 10
ABBREVIATIONS......Page 14
1 Introduction......Page 18
Social Movements and the Political Process......Page 20
Growth, Maintenance, and Decline of Social Movements......Page 22
The Study......Page 23
PART I: ORIGINS OF THE MOVEMENT TO LEGALIZE ABORTION......Page 26
Professionals and Established Organizations in the Abortion Reform Movement......Page 28
The Creation of a Repeal Movement......Page 31
Grass-Roots Participation: The Cycle of Protest......Page 33
Coordination and Coalition in the Movement......Page 39
Conclusion......Page 42
3 Collective Action Through Established Means......Page 44
The Politics of Persuasion......Page 45
Activist Backgrounds and Institutionalized Channels of Influence......Page 47
Organizational Deficits and Movement Diversity......Page 52
Conclusion......Page 57
4 Confrontation and Direct Action......Page 58
The Creation of a New Consciousness......Page 59
Feminist Mobilization and Direct Action......Page 66
Conclusion......Page 69
PART II: SURVIVING THE VICTORY, 1973–1976......Page 70
5 Movement Maintenance and Reorganization......Page 72
Countermovement Mobilization and Movement Maintenance......Page 73
Support from Established Organizations and Interest Groups......Page 74
Multi-Issue Organizations and Movement Maintenance......Page 76
Organizational Changes and Movement Stability......Page 78
Conclusion......Page 80
Proactive Actions Following the Victory......Page 81
Movement Reactions to Countermovement Actions......Page 84
Organizational Influences on Collective Action......Page 87
Conclusion......Page 91
PART III: COUNTERMOVEMENT VICTORIES AND MOVEMENT EXPANSION, 1977–1983......Page 94
New Threats to Abortion Rights......Page 96
Pro-Choice Growth and Development......Page 98
Professionalization and Formalization of Pro-Choice Movement Organizations......Page 102
Conclusion......Page 107
Grass-Roots Organizing and Political Action......Page 108
Institutionalized Tactics and Narrowed Demands......Page 118
Conclusion......Page 123
Origins of the Reproductive Rights Movement......Page 125
Multi-Issue Demands......Page 128
Strategies and Tactics......Page 129
Conclusion......Page 136
PART IV: THE PRO-CHOICE MOVEMENT IN THE 1980s AND BEYOND......Page 138
Opportunities for Action......Page 140
Countermovement Initiatives and Movement Survival......Page 142
The Reagan–Bush War on Abortion......Page 149
Conclusion......Page 151
The Battle Intensifies......Page 152
Professionalization Versus Grass-Roots Action?......Page 160
Conclusion......Page 161
The Cycle of Protest......Page 163
Movement–Countermovement Dynamics......Page 165
Social Movements in the American Political System......Page 168
National Organizations......Page 172
State and Local Organizations......Page 184
Newsletters of National Organizations......Page 195
Newsletters of Local Organizations......Page 197
Manuscript Collections......Page 198
APPENDIX C: Interviews with Pro-Choice Activists......Page 201
NOTES......Page 203
REFERENCES......Page 224
A......Page 234
C......Page 235
E......Page 236
H......Page 237
L......Page 238
N......Page 239
O......Page 240
P......Page 241
S......Page 242
W......Page 243
Z......Page 244