'It's a family affair': The discursive entanglement of social formations in public and private cord blood banking in Italy

Public Understanding of Science
Lorenzo Beltrame

Abstract

The dominant narrative in bioethical and biomedical literature criticises private/family cord blood banking as selling a biomedical service that challenges the system of public banks that is based on voluntary donations and distributing umbilical cord blood for medical needs. While the public system is described as embedded in the social relations of reciprocity, solidarity and obligation to the collectivity, private/family banking is accused of being a for-profit commercial market that exploits the emotional vulnerabilities of parents with exaggerated and misleading claims about the clinical uses of umbilical cord blood. This article challenges this view by showing that both banking systems are embedded in social relations. It analyses the discourses produced by Italian public and private umbilical cord blood banks and by healthcare institutions to show how these discourses constitute different social formations and attach diverging meanings of umbilical cord blood banking and clinical use to the set of responsibilities, values and obligations characterising these formations.

References

Jun 4, 2005·Obstetrics and Gynecology·Jeffrey L Ecker, Michael F Greene
Mar 15, 2011·Social Science & Medicine·Nik BrownDanae McLeod
Apr 14, 2012·Sociology of Health & Illness·Nik Brown
Nov 28, 2012·Journal of Bioethical Inquiry·Maree PorterChristopher F C Jordens

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Citations

Feb 27, 2020·Regenerative Medicine·Alessandro R MarconTimothy Caulfield

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Software Mentioned

Atlas
CryoSave
SmartBank
SmartCells
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