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Framing a ‘social problem’: emotion in anti-abortion activists’ depiction of the abortion debate
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-09, 12:04 authored by Evangelos Ntontis, Nick HopkinsSocial psychological research on activism typically focuses on individuals’ social identifications. We complement such research through exploring how activists frame an issue as a social problem. Specifically, we explore anti-abortion activists’ representation of abortion and the abortion debate’s protagonists so as to recruit support for the anti-abortion cause. Using interview data obtained with UK-based anti-abortion activists (N=15) we consider how activists characterised women having abortions, pro-abortion campaigners, and anti-abortion campaigners. In particular, we consider the varied ways in which emotion featured in the representation of these social actors. Emotion featured in different ways. Sometimes it was depicted as constituting embodied testament to the nature of reality. Sometimes it was depicted as blocking the rational appraisal of reality. Our analysis considers how such varied meanings of emotion shaped the characterisation of abortion and the abortion debate’s protagonists such that anti-abortion activists were construed as speaking for women and their interests. We discuss how our analysis of the framing of issues as social problems complements and extends social psychological analyses of activism.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Accepted version
Journal
British Journal of Social PsychologyISSN
0144-6665Publisher
British Psychological SocietyExternal DOI
Issue
3Volume
57Page range
666-683Department affiliated with
- Psychology Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2018-02-13First Open Access (FOA) Date
2019-02-27First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2018-02-12Usage metrics
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