Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Opinion: Common ground on abortion

The Seattle Times: Opinion
E.J. Dionne
"If both parties combine wisdom with shrewdness, the election of a new congressional majority should open the way for a better approach to the abortion question.

The bitter political brawling of the past three decades has created an unproductive stalemate that leaves abortion opponents frustrated, abortion-rights supporters in a constant state of worry, and the many Americans who hold middle-ground positions on abortion feeling there is no one who speaks for them.

But the politics of abortion began to change even before this month's elections. In September, a group of 23 pro-choice and pro-life Democratic House members introduced what they called the 'Reducing the Need for Abortion and Supporting Parents Act.'

OK, it's not the catchiest title, but you get the point. The bill — its sponsor is Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, an abortion opponent, with Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., an abortion-rights supporter, as a leading co-sponsor — took a lot of negotiation. Supporters of abortion rights tend to favor programs that encourage effective contraception, which some in the right-to-life movement oppose. Opponents of abortion emphasize helping women who want to carry their children to term.

The Ryan bill, one of several congressional initiatives to reduce the abortion rate, does both. It includes a remarkably broad set of programs aimed at reducing teen pregnancy, promoting contraception and encouraging parental responsibility. But it also includes strong measures to offer new mothers full access to health coverage, child care and nutrition assistance.

The public debate usually ignores the fact that abortion rates are closely tied to income. As the Guttmacher Institute has reported, "the abortion rate among women living below the federal poverty level ... is more than four times that of women above 300 percent of the poverty level." The numbers are stark: 44 abortions per 1,000 women in the lower-income group, 10 abortions per 1,000 women in the higher-income group.

In other words: If you truly care about reducing the number of abortions, you have to care about the well-being of poor women.

There are moral and practical reasons for members of both parties, and combatants on both sides of the abortion question, to embrace this approach.

Liberal supporters of abortion rights should be eager to promote a measure that does not make abortion illegal, but does embrace goals, including help for the poor, that liberals have long advocated.

In the meantime, the victories opponents of abortion rights have won in fact do little to reduce the number of abortions. As Rachel Laser, director of the Third Way Culture Project, points out, even those who would ban late-term or partial-birth abortions need to acknowledge that very few are performed, meaning that these laws do little to reduce the overall abortion rate. According to one study cited by Laser, only 0.08 percent of abortions are performed in the third trimester.
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Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Class and family [Family Contribution to Class Reproduction]

Sociological Review
Rosemary Crompton
This paper seeks to make a contribution to debates on 'class analysis', as well as exploring the role of the family in class reproduction. A broad distinction is drawn between primarily 'economic' and primarily 'culturalist' accounts of class reproduction. It is argued that despite their differences, these accounts also share many similarities. In particular, both approaches identify the role of the family as central to the reproduction of class. However, economic and cultural accounts cannot be integrated into a single 'theory', one reason being that the mechanisms whereby economic and cultural capital are transmitted are different. Nevertheless, economic and cultural approaches may be (and should be) used in combination with each other in order to develop a full account of the reproduction of class inequalities. In developing these arguments, a critique is offered of current theories of 'individualisation' in relation to class and the family. The argument is illustrated by two 'worked examples'; teenage motherhood, and the patterning of mothers' employment."

Preschool Pays Off

RAND | News &
Early childhood education produces better students, more productive adults

Sixty-two percent of children under the age of 6 in Pennsylvania need care while their parents or guardians work. Meeting this need presents an opportunity to enrich the lives of children and set them on a path toward productive adulthood. Research shows that investments in quality child care pay off.

In the near term, quality preschool can boost children's ability to learn and succeed in school. In the longer term, the benefits can translate into substantial savings for government, taxpayers and businesses.

Studies have shown what effective early childhood programs look like. They resemble schools more than day care. They have well-trained and educated providers, small group sizes and a developmentally appropriate curriculum.

Pennsylvania has begun to recognize the need for such early childhood care programs. State efforts like the $6 million investment in Keystone Stars are designed to improve child care quality. Pennsylvania legislators also are poised to pass standards for preschool programs that would require all teachers to have a bachelor's degree and a certificate in early childhood education.

These requirements have a solid basis in research. Studies have found that students with quality preschool experience are more likely to enter school prepared to learn and to possess basic skills. These students consistently outperform their peers who lack similar preparation. This divergence is especially sharp for students in the lowest income groups.

There are further benefits. Students who enter kindergarten from quality preschool programs are less likely to repeat grades, less likely to require remedial or special education and less likely to pose disciplinary problems. And the benefits persist. The same students are less likely to drop out of school and more likely to pursue advanced education.
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