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The normalisation of body gifting in Taiwan

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journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 22:07 authored by Hung-Chieh Chang
The Tzu Chi Foundation has made body gifting, such as body donation, bone marrow donation and cord blood donation, successful in Taiwan. Using Foucault’s theoretical framework of governmentality and normalisation, this article discusses how a Buddhist charity, the Tzu Chi Foundation, normalises body gifting in Taiwan through their campaigns, system and philosophy. It argues that Buddhist discourses of karma create a ‘benefit-all altruism’ in body gifting. Furthermore, the emergence of the Tzu Chi Foundation in the last five decades has been a process of discipline and norm construction. The Tzu Chi Foundation, with its comprehensive missions, builds up an extensive network to spread their philosophy in different fields, from environmental protection and humanity education to medical care. The practice-oriented and community-based volunteer system helps the ‘giving’ ideology take root in the communities in Taiwan. Finally, through the media and the Internet, the effect goes beyond the institutional boundaries and reaches the public.

Funding

Bionetworking in Asia - International collaboration, exchange, and responsible innovation in the life sciences; G0750; ESRC-ECONOMIC & SOCIAL RESEARCH COUNCIL; ES/I018107/1

Bionetworking in Asia - A social science approach to international collaboration, informal exchanges, and responsible innovation in the life sciences; G0812; EUROPEAN UNION; 283219

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Journal

BioSocieties

ISSN

1745-8552

Publisher

Palgrave

Issue

2

Volume

11

Page range

135-151

Department affiliated with

  • Anthropology Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2015-10-21

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2016-08-03

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2016-08-03

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