Risk or Reward? Whether Inclusiveness Invites Engagement with Abortion Movement Messages

Do representations of difference and diversity resonate with supporters of abortion rights? Some scholars of collective action suggest that difference is an impediment to social movement organizations (SMOs) because, among other reasons, it creates barriers to constructing collective identities that are deemed essential to mobilization strategies (Melucci 1994). However, in recent years, calls for more intersectional approaches within social movements have gained traction and more organizations are attempting to integrate the “messiness” of difference into their communication and mobilizing strategies, potentially changing ideas of the collective identity of the group (García 2020). Of note are some abortion rights movements that have begun focusing on reproductive justice as opposed to reproductive rights and incorporating trans-inclusive language into their documents (Sutton and Borland 2018). Whether shifting from messages focused on individual autonomy and liberty to incorporating messages and representations of diversity and differences into communication strategies appeals to supporters on a micro-level is an open question and an important one. Referring to a perceived lack of inclusive language and representations of difference in their campaign for abortion rights in Ireland in 2018, one campaign leader retrospectively noted that the campaign could have been “more brave, more open about values that political campaigns deem risky” (Brophy, 2019). Is incorporating difference into messages a risky endeavor or a winning strategy for consolidating support within abortion rights movements? Engagement such as “likes” or “shares” with organizations’ social media posts can indicate the resonance or appeal of a message or image (Peng 2021). I study engagement with the social media posts of abortion rights organizations in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and the United States over roughly the last decade. Turning a close eye to the characteristics in posts that are associated with higher and lower levels of engagement in these different policy and demographic environments over time provides empirical evidence of whether audiences reward representations of difference in SMO messages and the “process of moving from a more particularistic collective identity to a more encompassing one” focused on inclusivity across national contexts (Flesher Fominaya 2010).