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Abortion: A Social Analysis

Decent Essays

The social issue I am exploring is abortion. The two questions I am researching are: “Please tell me whether or not you think it should be possible for a pregnant woman to obtain legal abortion if there is a strong chance of a serious defect in the baby” and “Please tell me whether or not you think it should be possible for a pregnant woman to obtain legal abortion if the woman wants to for any reason.” This social issue is important because it can be viewed from a legal, moral, religious, and social standpoint. It also has only become a large part of our society, and therefore a largely debated issue, in the last half century. It also is sociologically important because it is a debate over the ideal our country was formed on: freedom. …show more content…

For the woman: freedom to choose whether or not to carry the pregnancy to term. I have chosen to view this issue of abortion based on how it varies between classes. I think that the lower classes will be the most opposed to abortions. Many members of the extended family usually assist in raising children in lower class families. Some of these people, such as grandparents, may live in the same house, and aunts, uncles, and cousins may live in the same neighborhood. This focus on a close-knit larger extended family ensures the woman having the baby that they will have a large support base for raising the child. Because of the focus on close ties to their extended family, and their overall focus on family in general, I think that lower class individuals will be more against abortions than upper class …show more content…

Income, wealth, education, occupation, and lifestyle all can be used to define class. Income refers to personal earnings from wages, salary, and investments. This is not always an accurate measure of class because it does not include family status or inheritances. Wealth refers to income in addition to real estate. This is the best predictor of class because individuals with the most overall wealth live the most prosperously, and are classified members of the highest class in American standards. Education relates to socioeconomic status. Education is a usually a strong predictor of income, wealth, occupation, and social status. However, education is not always a predictor of class because some jobs that require many years of higher education then result in low levels of income and wealth, such as teachers. Occupation relates to different levels of respect and prestige in the community. Though this is a fairly accurate display of class, wealth and occupation are not always directly correlated because of other circumstances, such as investments, that can move people up or down in class status. This is not a strong predictor of class because many times people with no wealth are very knowledgeable about our culture. The idea of wealth being the strongest predictor of class is especially prevalent in the United States, where class is based on economic inequalities. In a survey, people most likely self-reported their class

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