Deconstructing Dobbs: An Introduction to the Special Issue

Abstract

ABSTRACT When the US Supreme Court’s conservative majority overturned Roe v. Wade (1973) in late June 2022, it created legal, political, and practical chaos in the US, as abortion – previously a fundamental right under the US Constitution – was now under state jurisdiction. In this special issue, we cover a range of theoretical and practical implications of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision and the stratification of reproductive freedoms across the US. We ask the important questions of: how did we get here, who bears the burdens of the Dobbs decision, and what complications will likely occur in the future because of this decision? Our contributors come from interdisciplinary fields which illustrate the wide ranging the implications of this opinion. We show how these pieces add significantly to the growing scholarly conversations focused on the political, legal, and social significance of the fall of Roe v. Wade.