Researchers are putting liberal feminists in a Catch 22 – males who regularly use pornography may exhibit "hostile sexism," but they also appear prone to supporting abortion.
A recent study published by the Journal of Sex Research addresses science-backed feminist critiques of the porn industry as an enabler of "nonegalitarian attitudes toward women" with new findings on its users' attitudes toward abortion.
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Taylor Kohut, Jodie L. Baer and Brendan Watts of the Western University in London, Ontario, Canada, published "Is Pornography Really about 'Making Hate to Women'?" on Aug. 25. The Psychology and Sociology professors looked at a long-term study conducted in the U.S. since 1973 and concluded pornography viewers "may be useful allies" of abortion supporters.
The study, conducted by the General Social Survey of the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, regularly asked 10,946 American males and 14,101 American females questions about their pornography-viewing habits, along with attitudes on at least one of the following subjects: working from home, women in positions of power, the traditional family, abortion and feminist identification.
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The survey was conducted every one to two years.
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Participants in the study were asked if they thought it should be possible for a woman to obtain a legal abortion under different circumstances, including pregnancy as a result of rape, pregnancy when the woman is unmarried and does not want to marry, and abortion if the woman wants one for any reason.
Responses, which were limited to "Yes," "I don’t know," and "No," were then aggregated and given a numerical value. Strong support for abortion received a score of "1," and no support was scored "3."
(Image: Journal of Sex Research)
Authors of the study found a statistically reliable correlation between pornography-viewing habits and increased support for abortion, although all groups fell on the "negative side of 'unsure.'"
Researchers at the Journal of Sex Research said it was possible pornographic films were "activating scripts for sexual liberalism" or that users may support abortion to "enjoy more recreational sex, free from the consequences imposed by child rearing."
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Live Action News, a site dedicated to building a pro-life culture, blasted the researchers for not addressing the issue of coerced abortions on Monday.
"There’s evidence that more than half of women who have abortions are pressured into doing so. Why would someone tell a woman to abort? Child support, for one thing. ... Of course, the offer of a 'new Prada purse' isn’t always persuasive enough, so some men resort to blackmail and financial coercion instead," the website reported. "Women have been shot, stabbed, bludgeoned, burned and smothered for refusing to exercise their 'right to choose' – life, that is. That might help explain why the CDC lists homicide as a leading cause of death during pregnancy."
