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Pro-life, Positioning and Imperialism - A Critical Discourse Analysis of U.S. Foreign Aid Statements on Abortion and Reproductive Health

German, Charlotte LU (2020) SIMV23 20201
Graduate School
Abstract
This thesis uses Critical Discourse Analysis to explore how the practice of abortion is defined and created in U.S. presidential administrations’ statements on foreign aid, how the discourses regarding abortion and reproductive health have changed between 1984-2019 and how the U.S. foreign aid statements on reproductive health can be understood through postcolonial feminist theory. When the presidency is held by a Republican, the U.S. has implemented a policy prohibiting U.S. taxpayer money to fund abortion services abroad. The Mexico City Policy, as it is named, has severe consequences on women’s health. The theoretical framework builds upon postcolonial feminist theory, which includes a Marxist perspective and a theory on reproductive... (More)
This thesis uses Critical Discourse Analysis to explore how the practice of abortion is defined and created in U.S. presidential administrations’ statements on foreign aid, how the discourses regarding abortion and reproductive health have changed between 1984-2019 and how the U.S. foreign aid statements on reproductive health can be understood through postcolonial feminist theory. When the presidency is held by a Republican, the U.S. has implemented a policy prohibiting U.S. taxpayer money to fund abortion services abroad. The Mexico City Policy, as it is named, has severe consequences on women’s health. The theoretical framework builds upon postcolonial feminist theory, which includes a Marxist perspective and a theory on reproductive governance. The empirical material of the thesis is constituted by statements made by U.S. presidential administrations from 1984-2019. The findings show that the discourses regarding abortion in foreign aid very much depends on what party holds the presidency. The Republicans follow and reproduce a pro-life discourse and claims the unborn foetus’ right to life, whereas Democrats follow a more comprehensive discourse of sexual and reproductive health and rights. The thesis concludes that the implementation of the U.S. foreign aid policy on reproductive health also reproduces colonial patterns of power, control and influence. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
German, Charlotte LU
supervisor
organization
course
SIMV23 20201
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
United States of America, Foreign Aid, Abortion, Critical Discourse Analysis, Postcolonial Feminist Theory
language
English
id
9012666
date added to LUP
2020-06-22 16:43:46
date last changed
2020-06-22 16:43:46
@misc{9012666,
  abstract     = {{This thesis uses Critical Discourse Analysis to explore how the practice of abortion is defined and created in U.S. presidential administrations’ statements on foreign aid, how the discourses regarding abortion and reproductive health have changed between 1984-2019 and how the U.S. foreign aid statements on reproductive health can be understood through postcolonial feminist theory. When the presidency is held by a Republican, the U.S. has implemented a policy prohibiting U.S. taxpayer money to fund abortion services abroad. The Mexico City Policy, as it is named, has severe consequences on women’s health. The theoretical framework builds upon postcolonial feminist theory, which includes a Marxist perspective and a theory on reproductive governance. The empirical material of the thesis is constituted by statements made by U.S. presidential administrations from 1984-2019. The findings show that the discourses regarding abortion in foreign aid very much depends on what party holds the presidency. The Republicans follow and reproduce a pro-life discourse and claims the unborn foetus’ right to life, whereas Democrats follow a more comprehensive discourse of sexual and reproductive health and rights. The thesis concludes that the implementation of the U.S. foreign aid policy on reproductive health also reproduces colonial patterns of power, control and influence.}},
  author       = {{German, Charlotte}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Pro-life, Positioning and Imperialism - A Critical Discourse Analysis of U.S. Foreign Aid Statements on Abortion and Reproductive Health}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}