Introduction
The article Abortion: Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973), Doe v. Bolton, 410 U.S. 179 (1973) that will be discussed in the following report concerns the problem of abortion and abortion laws based on a few instances that were brought to the court. This specific subject was probably chosen because the topic of abortion has always been one of the most discussed and controversial in the contemporary society. In addition, the Roe v. Wade was a landmark and outstanding decisions of the U.S. Court in which it rules that the Constitution protects the rights of women and allows them to choose whether to have an abortion or not without any governmental intrusion.
By taking as an example the Roe v. Wade case, it was highlighted that “central issue of the abortion cases involved the weighing of the woman’s right to personal privacy which encompasses the right to terminate her pregnancy against the right to life of the fetus” (“Abortion,” 1973, p. 395). For this reason, the article is essential from the point of analysis and understanding of the problem.
Based on the content of the article, it can be stated that the main question that the author is trying to answer is why women should have full freedom in deciding whether they want to do an abortion or not. By discussing the case in detail and explaining the decision of the U.S. Court, the article gives an insight into “certain procedural requirements contained in abortion statutes.” (“Abortion,” 1973, p. 396)
Furthermore, it analyzes different trimesters and their role in determining the freedom of the woman and the involvement of the doctor. Thus, the article was generally discussing the reasons why women should be granted permission to do an abortion, thy these decisions are challenging for the Court, and on what they base their choices.
Methods of Collecting Data
It should primarily be mentioned that this article simply discusses a specific issue and analyzes it in details. The study does not include any participants, does not conduct interviews, and does not observe any certain groups of individuals. Thus, the process of collecting and organizing data was already simplified for the author at the very beginning. They focused on the independent research that was not influenced by any experiments or opinions.
The author collected their data by accessing various other academic sources and existing cases that were ruled but the U.S. Court. By carefully reading and analyzing them, they were able to enrich the created article with interesting and insightful information. This information perfectly explained the issues of abortion and different details that are involved in making the decision about terminating the life of a fetus.
Talking about the contextual factors, it should be noted that they are considered to essential points in any research because these are the factors that reflect a specific context, characterize a certain group of people, a community, society, or an individual. Some of the contextual factors included in the research are different periods of pregnancy, boundaries to the right of personal liberty, and situations when unborn people have legal rights.
Explanation and Discussion of Results
All the data that was collected by the author concerned the issue of abortion, the reasons of permitting women to do it, and the determining factors for the decision of the court. For instance, the article largely discussed the different trimesters or pregnancy. A specific pattern that emerged from this discussion was the idea that the decision of the Court and the ability of women to make an abortion based on their personal desire is highly affected by the trimester of the pregnancy (“Abortion,” 1973).
During the first trimester, the interests of the women are predominant while, in the second trimester, the interest of the state in the pregnancy is substantial (“Abortion,” 1973). In addition, based on the collected data another pattern was established which concluded that the unborn cannot be recognized as people (“Abortion,” 1973). Moreover, another pattern confirmed that the claim that hospitals have to approved every abortion is wring and unconstitutional.
Overall, it can be stated that all the collected data and the patterns that emerged form it are valuable for the understanding of the issue of abortion and the women’s right to conduct an abortion based on their personal interest. However, it was the most important to realize what are the various factors that impact the liberty of individuals and their doctors to make an abortion.
This is due to the fact that this kind of information can contribute to a better understanding of a difficult decisions process when it comes to terminating a pregnancy. Concerning the data that did not fit the patterns and the main ideas of the author, it was still valuable for the research because it was able to present a distinguishing perspective on the issue, making the article more reliable and credible.
Conclusion
As mentioned earlier, the main idea of the article was to inform the general public about the abortion and various factors that influence the decision-making process of the court, the doctors, and individuals. From the first sight, it does not seem that the author explains the story of the collected data and its patterns. There is no indication of the history behind data collection and the motivations of the author to complete the research. However, it can still be stated that there is something behind the article.
Most probable, the author was extremely interested in learning more about the topic and providing their readers with insightful information about abortions and the legal procedure that allows them. The topic of abortion is one of the most controversial in the contemporary world; therefore, it is beneficial for people to continue learning about it and enrich their knowledge.
Alternative Conclusion
The data which was collected and discussed indicated that women should have enough freedom to decided whether they want to keep their pregnancy or not. Nevertheless, it was also concluded that the procedure is highly influenced by the progression of the pregnancy, the trimester, and the health issues of the mother.
It does not seem that the collected data could me something else. The message of the article is clear and straightforward; thus, a totally different perspective from this article is impossible. What could be different is the perception of individuals and their interpretation of the information presented by the author. Based on their subjective belief and opinions, they might form a different perspective about the article and state that, for instance, due to many factors that influence the abortion process, it would be better to prohibit this act at all times.
Reference
Abortion: Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973), Doe v. Bolton, 410 U.S. 179 (1973), 64 J. Crim. L. & Criminology 393 (1973).