ABORTION IN POLAND - A VICIOUS CIRCLE OR A GOOD USE OF RHETORIC - A SOCIOLOGICAL-STUDY OF THE POLITICAL DISCOURSE OF ABORTION IN POLAND

The linguistic and semiotic analysis of the discourse over the politic al, social, and medical aspects of abortion is the topic of this artic le. In the fall of 1989 we interviewed 30 experts from various profess ional backgrounds who held opposing viewpoints on abortion. Half were pro-life; half were pro-choice. The analysis of the terminology employ ed by pro-life experts reveals several techniques of semantic manipula tion: the elimination of neutral terms and their replacement by conven ient synonyms, the exclusion of some words, and the redefinition of ot hers. This modified terminology serves to create a discourse completel y biased toward the ''defense of life.'' Negation, selection, illustra tion, and minimization are techniques of semantic manipulation. They a re applied against women's rights to abortion in several juridical cas es, like therapeutic abortion, deformation of the fetus, rapes, the di fficult social situation of a pregnant woman. A source of all examples is provided by our interviews with experts and lay people and content analysis of mass media.