Messiahs, pariahs, and donors: The development of social representations of organ transplants

This longitudinal, qualitative study investigated the genesis and transform ation of the social representations of organ transplants. A search of the W est Australian newspaper, from 1954 to 1995 found 672 articles pertaining t o organ transplants. Two distinct, but conflicting, representations emerged in the analyses. In the first representation, found from 1967/68, the surg eon was paramount and organ transplants were iconised as "spare part surger y". In the second representation, found from 1984/85, the role of the donor was emphasised and transplants iconised as a "gift of life". Both represen tations were discernible in 1994/95. We consider the question whether there are now two conflicting representations or one representation with two con flicting sets of beliefs at its core. The results are discussed in terms of anchoring, objectification, transformation, and structure, as well as Mosc ovici's (1993) notion of canonic themata.