The 'empty choice

A sociological examination of choosing medical research participation in resource-limited Sub-Saharan Africa

Bibliographic Data

ID2305861
AuthorsPatricia Kingori (0000-0001-5420-2183, University of Oxford, corresponding author)
Year2015
Volume63
Issue5
Pages763-778
Publication date2015-09-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCurrent Sociology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0011-3921 • E-ISSN: 1461-7064
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0011392115590093
PMID27182072
OpenAlexW2151557978
LanguageEN
Citations received29
References cited30

This article explores the views of frontline research staff in different Sub-Saharan African contexts on the notion of choice in biomedical research. It argues that the current emphasis on individual choice, in the conduct of biomedical research, ignores significant structural and contextual factors in resource-limited settings. These factors severely constrain individual options and often make biomedical research enrolment the most amenable route to healthcare for the world's poorest. From the position of frontline research staff, local contextual factors and structural issues narrowly frame the parameters within which many prospective participants are asked to choose, to such an extent that individuals are effectively presented with an 'empty choice'. The article draws on ethnographic and interview data and insights gained through graphic elucidation techniques. It demonstrates that for frontline research staff, macro-level structural factors and their bearing on everyday realities shape what choice in biomedical research participation means in practice

Argument (complex analysis) · Ethnography · Humanities · Sociology · Anthropology · Biomedical Ethics and Regulation · Ethics in Clinical Research · Global Health and Surgery · Medicine

Tools

Open DOISci-HubOpen Access