9310617 Ferree This is a study of public discourse on the issue of abortion in Germany and the United States, examining how it shifted over the past 30 years. The issue of abortion will be used to develop and test a broader theory of public discourse and the conditions under which social movements are likely to influence it. The abortion issue provides significant variation between countries and over time on two major variables of interest: (a) the degree of polarization reflected in mass media discourse and (b) the relative influence of social movement actors compared to political parties and other institutional actors in shaping it. The primary methods employed are content analysis of newspapers and other mass media sources over time and a combination of content analysis and informant interviews with spokespersons who have promoted a particular interpretation or way of framing the abortion issue. The research design will employ common research instruments and cross-national teams in data collection. This project will contribute significantly to scientific understanding of how the mass media and social movements interact to shape public perceptions of major social issues. Because it focuses on an important controversy that has developed quite differently in Germany and the United States, it will contribute to knowledge about the differences between these societies and provide insights that will be valuable to policy-makers confronting future disputes. ***
