‚I would prefer not to‘ Organ donation between unease and criticism. A sociological and ethical analysis.

Basic information:

• Type: Drittmittelprojekt
• Duration: 2014 – 2017
• Funding: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)

Description:

In Germany, post mortem organ transplantation not only depends on the explicit consent of the donor in an actual case, but is also subject to the acceptance amongst the general public. At the same time, among the German population there is a significant discrepancy between expressed positive attitudes towards organ donation and active willingness to donate one’s organs after diagnosed brain death, for example documented by filling in a donor card. Thus, ‘organ shortage’ – the gap between transplantable organs and the number of patients on the waiting list for organ donation – is commonly reduced to a lack of willingness to donate. Thus, (new) legal regulations and public campaigns aim to increase the willingness to donate among the general public by providing information. Although campaigns present the attitude towards organ donation as being up to an individual decision, they seem to be biased as they only show moral arguments in favor of organ donation like altruism, responsibility, or social conformity. As the reluctance to donate is only seen as a factor to be overcome, in-depth studies on reasons for reluctance are missing. The project aims for a better understanding and differentiated characterization of those who are uncertain or reluctant regarding organ donation. We combine a sociological and ethical approach and ask what kinds of scepticism about organ donation are expressed and enacted as well as whether they represent morally consistent positions. We also focus on the conflict between the social marketing on organ donation and its addressees. We conduct interviews and focus groups with citizens concerning their potential involvement in post-mortem organ donation that also address, among other things, uncertainties, disappointments, fears and vulnerability (sociological subproject). Furthermore, we analyze various German poster and informational campaigns that were carried out in the last 20 years by using approaches of multimodality and visual studies. Here, it is of interest whether these campaigns maintain a both morally and politically consistent image or whether they produce morally relevant discrepancies (bioethical subproject). We assume that uncertainty and refusal may have ‘good’, albeit implicit or emotional reasons. By linking both subprojects, we expect both scientifically and socio-politically relevant results. Not only do we aim to receive new empirical insights on the social ambivalences of organ donation, but also, through the bioethical analysis of public moral encouragement and further development of socio-theoretical and normative approaches, to provide a contribution to the reflection of the social significance of transplantation medicine.

People involved:

Annerose Böhrer, M.A.

Dr. Larissa Pfaller

Prof. Dr. Silke Schicktanz

Dr. Solveig Lena Hansen

Angelika Wunder

Moritz Kuhles

Christian Vogt

Marion Enachescu

Deliverables: