Life in Crisis

The Ethical Journey of Doctors Without Borders

Peter Redfield

$115.95

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

University of California Press
25 February 2013

Anthropology; Health systems & services

"Life in Crisis tells the story of Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders or MSF) and its effort to ""save lives"" on a global scale. Begun in 1971 as a French alternative to the Red Cross, the MSF has grown into an international institution with a reputation for outspoken protest as well as technical efficiency. It has also expanded beyond emergency response, providing for a wider range of endeavors, including AIDS care. Yet its seemingly simple ethical goal proves deeply complex in practice. MSF continually faces the problem of defining its own limits. Its minimalist form of care recalls the promise of state welfare, but without political resolution or a sense of well-being beyond health and survival. Lacking utopian certainty, the group struggles when the moral clarity of crisis fades. Nevertheless, it continues to take action and innovate. Its organizational history illustrates both the logic and the tensions of casting humanitarian medicine into a leading role in international affairs."

By: Peter Redfield
Imprint: University of California Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 23mm
Weight: 544g
ISBN: 9780520274846
ISBN 10: 0520274849
Pages: 338
Publication Date: 25 February 2013
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Contents List of Figures Acknowledgments Introduction Part 1: Terms of Engagement 1. A Time of Crisis 2. A Secular Value of Life Part 2: Global Ambitions 3. Vital Mobility 4. Moral Witness 5. Human Frontiers Part 3: Testing Limits 6. The Problem of Triage 7. The Longue Duree of Disease 8. The Verge of Crisis 9. Action beyond Optimism Epilogue Notes References Index

Peter Redfield is Professor of Anthropology at the University of North Carolina. He is the author of Space in the Tropics: From Convicts to Rockets in French Guiana.

Reviews for Life in Crisis: The Ethical Journey of Doctors Without Borders

"""An intriguing read that will be useful for students as well as health care practitioners... Recommended."" -- D. E. Bill CHOICE ""Anyone who believes that providing medical aid to the poorest people in poor and conflict-ridden countries provides moral clarity should read this book and be disabused."" -- CLAIRE L. WENDLAND Health Affairs ""A must-read ... Historically and analytically rich."" -- Lauren Carruth Current Anthropology"