Gender dynamics in the donation field: human tissue donation for research, therapy and feeding

Kent, Julie; Fannin, Maria; Dowling, Sally

Abstract

© 2018 The Authors. Sociology of Health & Illness published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Foundation for SHIL. This paper examines how gender dynamics shape human tissue donation for research and for human health. Drawing on research investigating the donation of different types of bodily tissues including blood, plasma, breastmilk, cord blood, foetal tissue and placentae we consider how and why women and men are viewed as different kinds of donors. We situate these donation practices within a broader understanding of gender difference to explain why any sociology of donation needs to take account of gender. In so doing we explore how tissue derived from the bodies of women acquires value in distinctive ways and for distinctive purposes and reasons. Within these gendered bioeconomies of donation, the supply and demand for tissue is structured by social understandings of maternity, parental responsibility, and risk, which in turn affect the experiences of donors.

Citation

Kent, J., Fannin, M., & Dowling, S. (2019). Gender dynamics in the donation field: human tissue donation for research, therapy and feeding. Sociology of Health and Illness, 41(3), 567-584. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12803

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 2, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Aug 13, 2018
• Publication Date: Mar 1, 2019
• Deposit Date: Jul 2, 2018
• Journal: Sociology of Health and Illness
• Print ISSN: 0141-9889
• Electronic ISSN: 1467-9566
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 41
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 567-584
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12803
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/849808
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12803
• Additional Information: Additional Information : This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: [Kent, J., Fannin, M. and Dowling, S. (2018) Gender dynamics in the donation field: Human tissue donation for research, therapy and feeding. Sociology of Health and Illness. ISSN 0141-9889], which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12803. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.