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Turning Women from Criminals into Victims
[journal article]
Abstract This article examines how one of the most striking differences between the central doctrines of the Catholic Church and the secular context of Swedish society, attitudes to abortion, is managed by the Swedish church hierarchy and commentators in the offic... view more
This article examines how one of the most striking differences between the central doctrines of the Catholic Church and the secular context of Swedish society, attitudes to abortion, is managed by the Swedish church hierarchy and commentators in the official newsletter of the Catholic Church of Sweden. Using Foucauldian concepts of power, the article concludes that in its marginal position, the Catholic Church in Sweden mixes the traditional pastoral and sovereign power of the church with the way pastoral power is exerted in modern society, in its efforts to continue asserting its influence over the possible courses of action for pregnant women. While traditionally abortion has been a woman’s crime, in the Swedish Catholic context it becomes rather the crime of the secular society. This means also that the image of woman as being responsible for her decisions and in need of forgiveness gives way to an image of woman as a victim in need of understanding.... view less
Free Keywords
abortion; Catholicism; discourse; Foucault; Sweden;
Document language
English
Publication Year
2005
Page/Pages
p. 187-200
Journal
European Journal of Women's Studies, 12 (2005) 2
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/1350506805051239
Status
Postprint; peer reviewed
Licence
PEER Licence Agreement (applicable only to documents from PEER project)