Dialling for donations: practices and actions in the telephone solicitation of human tissues

Altruistic actions such as the donation of public goods have long been the subject of social scientific debate. While scholars have recognised the importance of analysing the solicitation of donated goods such as human organs and tissues, to date none has examined actual interaction for this fateful event as it unfolds in real time. In this paper, we use data from 186 audio-recorded telephone interactions between donation centre personnel and family members of the recently deceased along with in-depth interviews and observations conducted in the call centre, to examine this particular donation solicitation interaction. Using conversation analysis, we demonstrate the step-by-step sequencing of the interaction that begins with the ringing phone generated by the call centre personnel which eventually leads to the formulation of the reason for the call, the tacit donation solicitation. Our close analysis of the sequential organisation of this interaction shows how solicitation is done cautiously, incrementally, and tacitly rather than overtly, reflecting its status as a dispreferred action. This analysis suggests that configurations in the wording of solicitations may operate interactionally but inadvertently to discourage the act of donation that call centre personnel are attempting to elicit.