Lost lives and new chances: The multiple social significance of body parts in the world of organ donation

Abstract

Through empirical studies in the US and Denmark, this article explores the plura­lity of meanings attached to body parts in the peculiar medical technology of or­gan donation and transplantation. The purpose is to nuance the current prevalent notion and representation of organs as commodities in strong demand for sick patients on the waiting list. Instead, this article illuminates how the body parts act as complex and ambiguous symbols of life and death and how sense making va­lues are ascribed through strategic processes by both organ recipients and donor families. It is also discussed how notions of the body parts are crucial in how the next of kin handle the grief of a sudden death and in what ways organ donation initiates complex social relations in this medical context. Finally, it is discussed how various perceptions of ownership of the body parts and their significance in rituals and practises surrounding death may give rise to controversies among both donor families and the medical staff.