Giving Blood: The Institutional Making of Altruism

Giving Blood represents a new agenda for blood donation research. It explores the diverse historical and contemporary undercurrents that influence how blood donation takes place, and the social meanings that people attribute to the act of giving blood. Drawing from empirical studies conducted in the United States, Canada, France, Australia, China, India, Latin America and Africa, the book’s chapters turn our attention to the evolution of blood donation worldwide, examining:

• the impact of technology advances on blood collection practices
• the shifting approaches to donor recruitment and retention
• the governance and policy issues associated with the establishment of blood clinics
• the political and legal challenges of regulating blood systems.

This innovative examination moves the focus from individual explanations of rates of blood donation to a social, structural explanation. It will appeal to international scholars and students working in the areas of sociology, medical anthropology, health care, public policy, socio-legal studies, comparative politics, organizational management, health and illness, the history of medicine, and public health ethics.

Johanne Charbonneau is Professor at the Université INRS – Centre Urbanisation Culture et Société.

André Smith is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.