Persistence and Change in Morality Policy

The Role of the Catholic Church in the Politics of Abortion in Ireland and Poland

Datos Bibliográficos

ID3945546
AutoresSydney Calkin (0000-0003-3791-8029), Monika Ewa Kaminska (0000-0003-2207-3289)
Año2020
Volumen124
Número1
Páginas86-102
Fecha de publicación2020-03-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaFeminist Review (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0141-7789 • E-ISSN: 1466-4380
EditorialSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0141778919894451
OpenAlexW2989984128
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas25
Referencias citadas47

On the issue of abortion, Ireland and Poland have been among the most conservative countries in Europe. Their legal and cultural approaches to this issue have been deeply influenced by the institution of the Catholic Church and its purported role as a defender of an authentic national identity. However, their political climates for abortion reform are increasingly divergent: Ireland has liberalised its abortion law substantially since 2018, while Poland is moving towards further criminalisation with the repeated introduction of restrictive laws in parliament. Both have seen active pro-choice movements who mobilise for reform and widespread non-compliance with their restrictive abortion laws, but the policy impact of these trends varies significantly. What accounts for this difference? This article draws on comparative analysis of Ireland and Poland to assess their divergent trajectories on abortion reform, arguing that the most significant driver of change between the two is the disparity in influence of the Catholic Church on politics and policymaking

Abortion · Abortion law · Family planning · Institution · Morality · Parliament · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Population · Research methodology · Sociology · Gender Studies · Irish and British Studies · Law · Religion and Society Interactions · Reproductive Health and Contraception