Right to life or right to governance? A discourse analysis of Texas' and Mexico's abortion policies from September 2021

Abstract: The aim of this thesis is to conduct a discourse analysis on Texas’ and Mexico’s abortion policies from September 2021 by applying Bacchi’s ‘What’s the problem represented to be?’ method, together with a theoretical framework based in reproductive governance and SRHR. The research questions are: what is the problem of abortion represented to be in these policies, and to what extent the discourses presented in said policies align with the views on abortion communicated by the Catholic Church. The results show that the policy enacted in Texas represents abortion as an immoral and dangerous social issue by adopting the right to life viewpoint. The discourse presented in this policy appears to have many similarities with that of the Catholic Church’s. Mexico’s policy, on the other hand, represents abortion in the first trimester as a necessary procedure both from a medical and human rights viewpoint. Late-term abortion is however perceived negatively due to the increased development of the foetus and the constitution’s wanting to preserve the human life. There are hardly any similarities found between the discourse presented by the Mexican Supreme Court in their ruling to decriminalise abortion in the first trimester and the Catholic Church’s discourse regarding abortion