Social Movement Activism for Fetal Rights: The Role of the Pro-Life Movement in the United States
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24843/jnp.v4i2.3983Keywords:
abortion, human rights, social change, pro-life, pto-choiceAbstract
This study explores the pro-life movement in the United States, focusing on its roles as a citizen, change agent, rebel, and reformer within the context of abortion debates. It argues that the pro-life movement must be understood as a hybrid form of activism and organized social movement that strategically occupies multiple societal roles to influence abortion discourse and policy in the United States. Using a qualitative-descriptive approach and document analysis, the study analyzes a corpus of 26 documents comprising academic sources, independent research, movement-produced and advocacy materials, and government documents. The analysis followed the processes of data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing, guided by Moyer’s four-role model of social movement activism. The findings show that the pro-life movement employs spiritual, educational, advocacy, and legislative strategies across the four roles. These roles operate not as discrete categories but as interdependent and mutually reinforcing forms of action that connect grassroots mobilization with institutional and policy-oriented strategies. The study also highlights the tension between fetal rights and women’s bodily autonomy and demonstrates the relevance of Moyer’s model for understanding activism within a polarized morality-politics context.
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