Legal vs. Public Mobilization: U.S. Civil Society and the End of Roe v. Wade

In this lecture, Prof. Sabine Lang will examine the contrasting responses of pro-choice and anti-abortion movements in the United States following the 2022 reversal of Roe v. Wade. While anti-abortion actors successfully mobilized public attention, progressive organizations appeared comparatively muted. The talk will explore the factors that informed differences in communication strategies of the pro-choice and anti-abortion movements in and after 2022, arguing that mobilization for women’s reproductive rights has increasingly focused on the legal sphere at the expense of strengthening its public mobilization repertoire.

The lecture will be followed by a short Q&A session, and the evening will conclude with an informal reception.