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Governing Death: Organizing End-of-life Situations

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  • Marie-Astrid Le Theule

    (LIRSA - Laboratoire interdisciplinaire de recherche en sciences de l'action - CNAM - Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers [CNAM] - HESAM - HESAM Université - Communauté d'universités et d'établissements Hautes écoles Sorbonne Arts et métiers université)

  • Caroline Lambert

    (HEC Montréal - HEC Montréal)

  • Jérémy Morales

    (RHUL - Royal Holloway [University of London], King‘s College London)

Abstract

This paper examines the organization of death. Through an ethnographic study, we examine how a geriatrics department guides the end of life. Drawing on Agamben, we show that organizations that are dedicated to life, but regularly confronted with death, develop dispositifs (mechanisms, technologies, practices and relationships) to turn biopolitics (power over life) into thanatopolitics (a regime of death). We also show how the inherently political meaning of life disrupts such government of death. The inclusion of political life in a regime of death disrupts organizational practices that find themselves facing fundamental questions of what makes a life worth living, who can decide not to prolong life, and based on which criteria.

Suggested Citation

  • Marie-Astrid Le Theule & Caroline Lambert & Jérémy Morales, 2020. "Governing Death: Organizing End-of-life Situations," Post-Print hal-03534172, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03534172
    DOI: 10.1177/0170840618800107
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://cnam.hal.science/hal-03534172
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Yu, Ai, 2021. "Accountability as mourning: Accounting for death in the time of COVID-19," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    2. Le Theule, Marie-Astrid & Lambert, Caroline & Morales, Jérémy, 2023. "Accounting to the end of life. Scarcity, performance and death," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    3. Plante, Maude & Free, Clinton & Andon, Paul, 2021. "Making artworks valuable: Categorisation and modes of valuation work," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).

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