Women in the Workforce: Economic and Social Impacts of Roe v. Wade

Tiffany M. Middlemas
Dr. David Gillette and Dr. Bridget Thomas, Faculty Mentors

The latter half of Second Wave Feminism coincided with a huge Supreme Court decision: Roe v. Wade. Both feminism and abortion legalization had significant impacts on perceptions of women in society. As social and economic impacts are often examined separately, few scholars have captured the comprehensive effect of abortion legalization on women in the workforce. While some scholars, such as Kalist (2004) and Bailey (2006), have examined data on female labor force participation rates, they have not done so in combination with sociological changes for working women. Roe v. Wade reframed the American ideal of a woman through economic liberation, enabling separation of childbearing and workforce participation. This study will utilize statistical regression and qualitative analysis to examine the economic data and social impacts of abortion legalization. The historical impact of Second Wave Feminism and Roe will be synthesized with economic and sociological analysis of women in the workforce.

Keywords: Roe v. Wade, female labor force participation, birth control

Topic(s):Interdisciplinary Studies
Economics
Sociology

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Session: TBA
Location: TBA
Time: TBA