Earning while giving: Rhetorical strategies for navigating multiple institutional logics in reproductive commodification

Abstract This paper examines the rhetorical strategies for navigating multiple institutional logics in human egg commodification. We focus on the intermediaries (agencies) who match donors and recipients, examining their attempt to recruit potential donors through strategic communications. Using a rhetorical and semiotic approach, we analyzed 412 online advertisements on craigslist.org , recruiting women for commercial egg donation from across 30 US states (82 cities/regions). In this situation of institutional complexity, we find contradictory logics about gift giving and commodified market exchanges. In addition to reframing strategies that downplay opposition, we find interesting mixtures of what should be adversarial logics existing simultaneously. We contribute to an understanding of the use of rhetorical language structure and content of communications to navigate oppositional market and altruism logics, in addition to advancing knowledge about strategic communications by third-party intermediaries.

• Publication year

  2019

• Venue

  Journal of Business Research

• Publication date

  2019-12-01

• Fields of study

  Sociology

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1016/J.JBUSRES.2019.05.010
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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