Date of Award
1997
Degree Name
Sociology
College
College of Liberal Arts
Type of Degree
M.A.
Document Type
Thesis
First Advisor
William Westbrook
Second Advisor
Kenneth Ambrose
Third Advisor
Ahmad Khalili
Abstract
This paper discusses the process of commodification by a non-profit hospice as seen through informants and participant observation. The objective was to describe how an all-volunteer organization could transform into a business when reimbursement was introduced into the exchange equation, why it happened, and the effects the change had on the people involved. What emerged from the interpretations was a detailed description of the commodification process in four areas: a) the emphasis of the money factor in the delivery of care, b) a shift to high-tech care and sicker patients, c) a calling and its relationship to non-profit work, and d) creation of professional boundary issues.
Subject(s)
Hospice care -- Case studies.
Hospice care -- Economic aspects.
Recommended Citation
Williams, Tina Marie Alford, "The commodification of caring : a hospice case study" (1997). Theses, Dissertations and Capstones. 2148.
https://mds.marshall.edu/etd/2148
