Negotiating values in abortion counselling

• Main Author: Van Vuuren, Christina Johanna Louisa Janse
• Other Authors: Kotzé, E.
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: Narrative pastoral counselling; Values; Abortion; Pro-life; Pro-choice; Discourses; 253.52; Abortion > Religious aspects; Abortion > Moral and ethical aspects > South Africa; Abortion counseling > South Africa; Pregnant women > Pastoral counseling of; Pastoral counseling; Narrative therapy
• Online Access: Van Vuuren, Christina Johanna Louisa Janse (2001) Negotiating values in abortion counselling, University of South Africa, Pretoria, <http://hdl.handle.net/10500/1121>; http://hdl.handle.net/10500/1121

The introduction of abortion legalisation in South Africa during 1997 gave rise to the need for pre- and post-abortion counselling. Two dominant counselling groups came to the fore namely pro-choice and pro-life, reflecting the respective stances of society on abortion. In order to answer the following research questions: "What value-challenges do abortion counsellors experience, if any?" and "What ways have they found in negotiating these challenges?" A narrative conversation was used to come to an understanding of these research questions in practice. Research was undertaken with counsellors from both pro-life and pro-choice stances. The influence of capitalism, patriarchy and religion on role players confronted with making decisions on abortion was explored. Pro-choice counsellors negotiated their values in terms of forgiveness based on the unconditional forgiveness they would expect from God and pro-life counsellors in terms of God's forgiveness for the client, accepting her own responsibility for the consequences of the abortion. === Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology === M. Th. (Pastoral Therapy)