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Care in the air? Atmospheres of care in Swedish pharmacies

Liu, Rui LU orcid (2023) In Journal of Material Culture 28(3). p.409-425
Abstract
This article builds upon literature on materialities of care and departs from a relational view of care and place. Using the concept of atmosphere, it investigates how care practices are situated spatially and temporally in pharmacies. In many countries, pharmacies are viewed as an important sector in formal healthcare systems. Rarely discussed in pharmacy literature is the affective and embodied aspect of care
and care services. Drawing on an ethnographic study of Swedish pharmacies, I demonstrate that pharmaceutical care services are more than filling prescriptions and giving medical advice. Senses of care are partly accomplished through pharmacy staff’s routinized and embodied engagement with the material environment. They also are... (More)
This article builds upon literature on materialities of care and departs from a relational view of care and place. Using the concept of atmosphere, it investigates how care practices are situated spatially and temporally in pharmacies. In many countries, pharmacies are viewed as an important sector in formal healthcare systems. Rarely discussed in pharmacy literature is the affective and embodied aspect of care
and care services. Drawing on an ethnographic study of Swedish pharmacies, I demonstrate that pharmaceutical care services are more than filling prescriptions and giving medical advice. Senses of care are partly accomplished through pharmacy staff’s routinized and embodied engagement with the material environment. They also are performed through staff’s tacit reading of customers. This article argues for an alternative understanding of care than an institutionally scripted one. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
care services, atmosphere, materiality, ethnography, Swedish pharmacies
in
Journal of Material Culture
volume
28
issue
3
pages
409 - 425
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • scopus:85140236189
ISSN
1359-1835
DOI
10.1177/13591835221133289
project
Service Studies Consumption
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a389c21d-3724-4d25-bcbc-a5c3c78c9893
date added to LUP
2022-10-20 20:49:53
date last changed
2023-11-20 16:24:49
@article{a389c21d-3724-4d25-bcbc-a5c3c78c9893,
  abstract     = {{This article builds upon literature on materialities of care and departs from a relational view of care and place. Using the concept of atmosphere, it investigates how care practices are situated spatially and temporally in pharmacies. In many countries, pharmacies are viewed as an important sector in formal healthcare systems. Rarely discussed in pharmacy literature is the affective and embodied aspect of care<br/>and care services. Drawing on an ethnographic study of Swedish pharmacies, I demonstrate that pharmaceutical care services are more than filling prescriptions and giving medical advice. Senses of care are partly accomplished through pharmacy staff’s routinized and embodied engagement with the material environment. They also are performed through staff’s tacit reading of customers. This article argues for an alternative understanding of care than an institutionally scripted one.}},
  author       = {{Liu, Rui}},
  issn         = {{1359-1835}},
  keywords     = {{care services; atmosphere; materiality; ethnography; Swedish pharmacies}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{409--425}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Journal of Material Culture}},
  title        = {{Care in the air? Atmospheres of care in Swedish pharmacies}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13591835221133289}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/13591835221133289}},
  volume       = {{28}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}