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Tinkering with Time versus Being under the Spell of Time

Pia Løvschal-Nielsen1, Rikke Sand Andersen1,2, Lotte Meinert1

  • 1Department of Anthropology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.

Medical Anthropology
|December 23, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Children undergoing cancer treatment cope with strict timelines by "tinkering with time." This practice helps them manage their experience and maintain a sense of control and autonomy during treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Oncology
  • Medical Sociology
  • Child Psychology

Background:

  • Cancer treatment imposes significant time constraints on pediatric patients.
  • These temporal limitations can impact a child's sense of control and autonomy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore how children respond to the time constraints of cancer treatment.
  • To understand the concept of "tinkering with time" as a coping mechanism.

Main Methods:

  • Ethnographic fieldwork conducted in a Danish pediatric oncology ward.
  • Qualitative analysis of children's experiences and practices related to time.

Main Results:

  • Children engage in "tinkering with time" to manage their experience of treatment timelines.
  • This practice allows them to gain a sense of control over time, not life itself.
  • Tinkering with time is identified as a form of "time work" and existential agency.

Conclusions:

  • "Tinkering with time" is a crucial strategy for pediatric cancer patients to assert autonomy.
  • Understanding these temporal practices can inform supportive care in pediatric oncology.

Keywords:
Denmarkautonomychildhood cancerexistencetimetinkering

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