Re: [Fwd: Re: [Fwd: Re: Abortion in Europe and US]]

[Wojtek Sokolowski <sokol@xxxxxxx>]

At 06:40 PM 8/27/99 +0000, katha wrote:
>> Here is another set of figures on abortion I derived from the World Values
> that's very interesting -- but it's worth noting that  how "acceptable"
>people find abortion doesn't tell us what they want to do about
>abortion.   I find it "unacceptable" when a middle-aged man leaves his
>wife for a twenty-year-old.  but I wouldn't make it a crime! the lowest
>acceptability rate for abortion was japan in l990 -- but Japan has an
>astronomical abortion rate (because birth control pill was outlawed
>until this summer), and no anti-choice movement to speak of.


katha:

I am fully aware about pitfalls of survey research, where everything
depends not just teh wordings but subjective interpretations as well.  That
was very evident in maryland a few years ago, where anti-abortionists
relying on poll data decided that that could win an anti-abortion
referendum (the so-called question 6).  To everyone's surprise, the measure
lost big time at the polls - the overwhleming majority (like 70%) rejected
it.  Apparently, these and kindred poll question are what some people call
"sin items" - everyone is against it, but that means nothing in practical
terms.

Having said that, however, we need to preserve uniformity in comparative
cross-national research to be absle to make valid comparisons.   It seems
quite obvious on its face, but I am surprised how oftem people forget about
that.  While "never acceptable" "always acceptable" are indeed very general
and vague thse are the attitudes that we can compare cross-nationally.  Of
course, as you correctly point out, these attitudes can transalte in to
much diffrent behaviors under diffrent conditions - but few social
scientists would argue that attitude-behavior.

wojtek