Article
In a world where there is a diversity of viewpoints on every phenomenon, the issue of abortion is of great importance. Much of the research literature is on the ethical side of abortion, but Hionidou’s work fully reflects the overall cultural and historical picture of models of abortion views and opinions in the twentieth century. The researcher’s work consists of three large sections, including the views of physicians, religions, and women. The first part focuses on the deliberate neglect of abortion in the medical community in the first quarter of the 20th century (175). The author emphasizes that abortion could only be afforded by wealthy women and, as a rule, only in some cases. Hionidou cites statistics according to which the number of children of a poor woman from 1920 to 1930 was twice as high as the number of descendants of an aristocrat (Hionidou 180). The second section is devoted to Church views on abortion, which, as expected, gives opposition. In particular, Hionidou explores the goals of the church and concludes that priests sought to control birth rates by forbidding women from destroying the fetus. Finally, in the third part, the author cites excerpts from interviews that show the respondents’ attitude towards the phenomenon of abortion.
Comparison and Contrast
Since the research article mainly describes the historical context, it reveals many societies with a textbook chapter. In particular, the text refers to the description of social cultures where men dominate women (432). Hionidou also points this out, referring to the patriarchal church (Hionidou 181). A correlation is found on the question of the underlying cause of abortion — Manias and Monroe writes that 40% is due to lack of financial resources (431). While Hionidou points out that even rich people could not always afford this procedure (180). In other words, an analysis of the textbook and a scientific article reveal similarities, which is probably due to the vast popularity of the issue.
Opinion
Research into abortion cannot leave anyone indifferent: after reading the article, I immediately thought about the linearity of the world, when civilization has undergone a qualitative change for hundreds of years. In the evolution of thoughts, the idea of abortion passed from prohibition to the procedure permitted today. It cannot be said that the article shocked or caused any new feelings. Nevertheless, Hionidou has managed to systematize the knowledge I have.
Works Cited
Hionidou, Violetta. “The Ethics of Abortion: Poverty and Stigma.” Abortion and Contraception in Modern Greece, edited by Violetta Hionidou, 2020, pp.175-198.
Manias, Nicholas and Monroe, Dave. The Moral Compass. Pearson Custom Publishing, 2000