'Her choice of course': Negotiating legitimacy of 'choice' in abortion rights deliberations during the 'Repeal the Eighth' movement in Ireland

Rahul Sambaraju*, Myles Sammon, Frank Harnett, Emma Douglas

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Discourses of ‘choice’ are routinely involved in sexual and reproductive rights’ advocacy. In this article, we offer a discursive psychological examination of how ‘choice’ is oriented to, in online deliberations on the ongoing movement for abortion rights in Ireland. Comment posters treated ‘choice’ as involving outcomes of and motives for choosing, in negotiating legitimacy of women’s rights to choose. These accompanied alternative versions of women, either as independent or as intimately bound up with pregnancy/motherhood, which were flexibly used in negotiation legitimacy of women’s rights to ‘choice’ in abortion practices. Choice advocacy is then situated in particular discursive practices.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)263-276
JournalJournal of Health Psychology
Volume23
Issue number2
Early online date17 Nov 2017
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2018

Keywords

  • abortion
  • discourse analysis
  • Ireland
  • right to choose
  • sexual health

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of ''Her choice of course': Negotiating legitimacy of 'choice' in abortion rights deliberations during the 'Repeal the Eighth' movement in Ireland'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this