Research Paper on "Abortion and Women's Rights"

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Annotated Bibliography

Farrell, C. (2010). The Abortion Debate. Edina, MN: ABDO Publishing.

Written from a sociological perspective, and well documented, this text is a good introduction to the issue, and presents a balanced treatment of both sides of the debate. Ideal for the scholarly survey or lay audience, the text uses not only scholarly citations, but interviews, newspaper and media treatments, and governmental debates.

Gans, O. (1998, February 11). A Woman Has the Right to Control Her Own Body. National Right to Life News. Retrieved from: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resources/abortion/defending-life/its-my-body-a-womens-choice/

Despite the publication, this is a more moderate treatment of the right to choose viewpoint, albeit anti-abortion in most scenarios. It is intended for a lay audience, and focused more on the Christian right, the sanctity of life, and the notion that there must be a balanced solution when considering abortion as a last resort to pregnancy.

Koppelman, A. (2010). Forced Labor Revisited: A 13th Amendment Defense of Abortion. Northwestern Law Review. Retrieved from: http://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1031&context=facultyworkingpapers

This material, updated from a 2009 article, gives the newest legal arguments that are pro-Constitutional and Pro-Abortion rights. It is a scholarly article, heavy with legal citations, and written predominately for the scholar who is interested in both Constitutional issues surrounding abortion and the pendulum swing of the Courts regarding the topic.

Mears, W. And B. Franken. (2003, January). 30 Years After Ruling, Ambiguity, Anxiety Surround Abortion Debate. CNN. Retrieved from: http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/01/21/roevwade.overview/

This is a transcript of a CNN program dealing with abortion, on the anniversary of RW. The audience is intended to be non-scholarly, and the treatment is fair, unbiased and presents both sides of the debate. The focus on the piece, though, is on the psychological nuances that creep up when the debate is aired publically.

McCormick, J. And Brachear, M. (2009, May 17). Obama Addresses Abortion Rights Furor at Notre Dame. The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from: http://articles.latimes.com/2009/may/18/nation/na-obama-notre18

This article, again for the lay audience, emphasizes President Barack Obama's view that there must be a middle ground and greater understanding regarding the abortion debate. This is an important piece of the puzzle when dealing with the issue, since it reflects the administration's push towards more rights for women, greater understanding from the High Court on the issue, and the idea that individual decisions are important parts of living within a democracy. In addition, Obama pushes the need to reduce conflict, to reach out to people of faith, and to dialog and find a compromise position on the subject.

Roe v. Wade. (1973). U.S. Supreme Court 410 U.S. 113. Retrieved from: http://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/410/113

This is the actual text and transcript of the famous RW decision of 1973. It is essential for any student of the subject to understand the Court's ruling and decision-making process, as well as the quotations from the majority and minority opinions. These opinions, and this Court document, are seminal in the basic arguments for abortion rights. There are numerous commentaries available, but as a primary scholarly source, the original court case is invaluable.

Schaefer, D. (2008, October 8). Putting Some Honesty in the Roe v. Wade Debate. The Boston Globe. Retrieved from: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/10/08/putting_some_honesty_in_roe_v_wade_debate/

Again, while written for the lay audience, the focus of this article is designed to remove as much rhetorical hyperbole from both sides of the debate, and asks the reader to examine the actual issues based on the RW case, focusing on the ideas of individual rights, potential medical or legal modifiers, and the distinction that the mother's health and body are important distinctions, not just the fetus. The reporting is balanced, and numerous quotations from experts in the field are used to buttress the arguments.

Saad, L. (2013). Majority Still Support Roe V. Wade. Gallup Politics. Retrieved from: http://www.gallup.com/poll/160058/majority-americans-support-roe-wade-decision.aspx

More scholarly interpretation of statistical sampling showing that the majority of Americans still support the RW decision. More detailed analysis and figures are available within the study; excellent for scholars to view opinions over time and to gauge the philosophical debate within American society.

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