To Work on the Edge of Life and Death: Report from the Field Research of Terminal Care in Pediatrics

Abstract

This paper discusses working in a medical setting based on my interview research to medical professionals who are working in pediatrics. In a certain aspect, to work in a medical setting mean to work on the edge of life and death. Previous sociological studies have paid much attention to how medical organization routinizes death in a hospital setting, but this article shows that medical professionals are not always used to patient’s death and they are engaged in highly emotional labor. Next, I indicate that qualitative research is effective to grasp the ‘human conditions’ of medical professionals. Lastly, I consider how we can return the result of our sociological research in a medical setting to the informant or the whole society.