Boundaries, Bodies, Borders: The Global Exchange of Human Body Parts

This conference invites postgraduate students and early career researchers to explore the processes of meaning making in relation to body parts exchanges.

Call for abstracts

The global movement of donated human body parts (e.g., blood, embryos, organs, sperm, oocytes) have gained increasing academic attention. A large part of these accounts express concerns regarding unequal power relationships between countries and between the parties engaged in medically related relationships (recipients, medical staff and medical facilities, providers of organs, tissues or cells etc.).

We wish to invite postgraduate students and early career researchers to explore the processes of meaning making in relation to body parts exchanges, and think about the following questions:

  • how do understandings of various technical procedures, bodies and body parts, and relationships (such as exchange relationships) emerge?
  • who does participate in framing them?
  • how do these understandings direct the flows of body parts across borders?      

We welcome contributions that analyse how different actors delineate the boundaries between science, ethics, law and other types of authority as part of their valuation performance, and how they manage uncertainty and risk in the process.

Abstract submission

Please send abstracts (150-250 words) to A Gruian, ssag@leeds.ac.uk, by 17th March 2017. There will be two types of presentations: 15 min. presentations and Pecha Kucha presentations. Participants can mention in the abstract email which presentation type they prefer, otherwise they will be allocated during the review process.

Speakers

The event will be chaired by Dr. Ana Manzano (University of Leeds). Speakers:

  • Prof Ruth Holliday (University of Leeds).Medical Mobilities: Economies and Ethics
  • Dr Sean Columb (Liverpool Law School). Organ markets & exploitation: Assessing the impact of crime and immigration controls in the Egyptian-Sudanese context
  • Dr Mark Monaghan (Loughborough University). Conceptualising Crime, Evidence, and Immorality
  • Dr Greg Moorlock (University of Warwick). Beauty Contests & Directed Altruistic Donation
  • Alexandra Gruian (University of Leeds).Ova Flows in Romania: Definitions, Legitimacy, Legality

Registration fees

  • BSA members: £10 Non-members: £25
  • We offer 5 bursaries for postgraduate students. Fee includes lunch and refreshments
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Location Details

12.21/12.25 Social Sciences Building
University of Leeds
Leeds
LS2 9JT

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