Ties That Bind Summary

Martyring of the Family
In the essay, “The Tyranny of the Gift: Sacrificial Violence in Living Donor Transplants”, Medical Anthropologist Nancy Scheper-Hughes argues that “paid kidney donors and related donors are often responding to family pressures and to a call to ‘sacrifice’” (Scheper-Hughes, 2007, p.507). She argues that donors are burdened by the very act and live a lifetime with the repercussions. She generalizes that all aspects of living-organ donation are wrought with abuse. She uses many examples to support her viewpoint of donor exploitation. Scheper-Hughes presents a compelling argument on the sociological and anthropological ramifications of a living-donor on the social and familial structures. However, despite its many strengths, there are a number of small, but important, weaknesses.
The Ties That Bind
Scheper-Hughes summary of David Biro’s essay lays the foundation for her argument against living-organ donation. When presenting Biro’s sister, who willingly donated her bone marrow, Scheper-Hughes makes her into a martyr. This stance weakens her case about family responsibility. Scheper-Hughes argues that

Altruism is a complex principle and is defined as an unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others (Altruism, n.d.). She claims that medical professionals were once cautious about living-donation between relatives due to the interdependence but does not give supporting evidence. The fact that it could be a reality in some cases shouldn’t negate all others. Knowing that you alone could save a family member holds great power and respect. Scheper-Hughes does not argue in this article that the receiving a living organ will not benefit the recipient. “In two-haplotype matched living-related donor kidneys, transplants have a 50% chance of achieving 24 years of functioning” (Kaserman, 2007). Life expectancy post-transplant has lengthened