Bioethics Beyond Altruism

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xii

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2. Introduction

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

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   2. Bioethics Beyond Altruism

      • Rhonda M. Shaw

      Pages 3-31

3. Stem Cells

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 33-33

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   2. Dead Human Bodies and Embryos: Commonalities and Disparities in Ethical Debate

      • D. Gareth Jones

      Pages 35-59

   3. The Immortal Life of Ethics? The Alienation of Body Tissue, Ethics and the Informed Consent Procedure Within Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Research

      • Casimir MacGregor, Tristan McCaughey, Megan Munsie, Alice Pébay, Alex Hewitt

      Pages 61-87

   4. On the Everyday Ethics of Stem Cell Therapies in India

      • Nayantara Sheoran Appleton, Aditya Bharadwaj

      Pages 89-112

4. Assisted Human Reproduction

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 113-113

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   2. Towards an Understanding of Embryo Donation in New Zealand: The Views of Donors and Recipients

      • Sonja Goedeke, Ken Daniels

      Pages 115-139

   3. Ethics for Embryologists

      • Ruth P. Fitzgerald, Michael Legge

      Pages 141-164

   4. Beyond Altruism: A Case for Compensated Surrogate Motherhood

      • Ruth Walker, Liezl van Zyl

      Pages 165-185

5. Organ Donation and Transplantation

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 187-187

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   2. Keeping it in the Family: Debating the Bio-intimacy of Uterine Transplants and Commercial Surrogacy

      • Charlotte Kroløkke, Michael Nebeling Petersen

      Pages 189-213

   3. Gift-of-life? The Psychosocial Experiences of Heart, Liver and Kidney Recipients

      • Geraldine O’Brien

      Pages 215-237

   4. Organ Donation Practices and End-of-life Care: Unusual Bedfellows or Comfortable Companions?

      • Maureen Coombs, Martin Woods

      Pages 239-263

   5. Valued Matter: Anthropological Insights on the (Bio)Political Economy of Organ Exchange

      • Ciara Kierans

      Pages 265-288

6. Breastmilk Exchange

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 289-289

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   2. Towards Social Maternity: Where’s the Mother? Stories from a Transgender Dad as a Case Study of Human Milk Sharing

      • Fiona Giles

      Pages 291-318

   3. Bio-Intimate Economies of Breastmilk Exchange: Peer-Milk Sharing and Donor Breastmilk in the NICU

      • Rhonda M. Shaw, Maggie Morgan

      Pages 319-342

7. Back Matter

   Pages 343-356

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This book departs from conventional bioethics approaches to consider the different moral and political economies involved in the donation and transformation of human organs, gametes, stem cells and breastmilk. Collectively, the authors draw attention to the different values associated with research and therapy on body part and tissue exchange through an examination of altruism, gift and commodity relations. They expertly discuss issues such as the bioethical conundrums around the circulation and use of human biological materials and services as well as their legal and regulatory limits, the economic benefits and health values attributed to various body parts and products, and the matter of immaterial labour and affective relations between donors, recipients and others involved in tissue provision.


Based on new empirical research, this interdisciplinary collection of original and timely essays will be of interest to students and researchers in gender and cultural studies, sociology, anthropology, science and technology studies, as well as medical professionals with an interest in health and reproduction.

• Science and Technology Studies
• Organ Donation
• Stem Cells
• Assisted Human Reproduction
• Embryology
• Surrogate Motherhood
• Organ donation
• End-of-Life Care
• Transgender
• Breastmilk Exchange

“This book tackles the topic of altruism with respect to transfers, redistribution, and transformation of biological material such as human bodily fluids, cells, tissues, and genetic material. … This book effectively synthesizes a vast amount of material into one succinct book while offering diverse opinions from varying backgrounds. This target audience is scholars in the fields of medicine and bioethics.” (Allegra Merriweather, Doody's Book Reviews, January, 2018)

• Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

  Rhonda M Shaw

Rhonda M. Shaw is Associate Professor of Sociology at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Her research interests include the sociology of morality and ethics, and empirical research on organ and tissue economies.

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