Read more
List of contents
1. Introduction. 2. Key Processes in Organ Transplantation. 3. Organ Procurement: Legislation and Praxis. 4. Recipient Selection: Regulation and Patterns. 5. Structural Incongruence. 6. The Ambiguous Body. 7. Dissonance in the Hospital. 8. Resolving Dissonance Organisationally. 9. Medicine and Legal Regulation. 10. Ethical Issues.
About the author
Nora Machado
Summary
First published in 1998, this unique, timely book applies sociological concepts and analysis to the study of organ transplantation and related medical phenomena. It provides comparisons between differing transplantation systems and examines the ethical issues of organ transplantation, organ donation and recipient selection. The author presents rich empirical materials and fertile theory with which to better understand a number of the current problems and developments related to organ transplantation and other high-tech medical developments. It also addresses important ethical issues. Dr. Nora Machado develops and applies an impressive range of new concepts and models in analyzing organ transplantation systems: the dissonance that appears to be endemic to these systems; the particular functions of a number of hospital roles, rituals, and discourses tin dealing with such dissonance and related conflict; the legal and normative regulation of body part extraction and allocation in large-scale systems; the cognitive and moral dilemmas which physicians, nurses and next-of-kin face in the use of the bodies of the dead. Much of Dr. Machado’s theoretical work is of a highly general value and should be of considerable interest even to those not engaged in issues of organ transplantation or bio-medical developments.
Additional text
’...will be useful to anyone studying the non-medical aspects of organ transplantation...a good example of the rich diversity of talent and interest bioethics is attracting today.’ New Law Journal ’The value of this book lies in the detailed and informative descriptions of the complex organizations involved with organ transplantation and the exchange and distribution networks within the context of the Scandinavian system where the author has conducted sociological research.’ Bioethics
