Maneuvering between cultures: The reception of hospice care in the Chinese medical community.

ABSTRACT

The expansion of hospice care worldwide has been received differently by medical communities in different societies. Nonetheless, existing efforts to explain how culture affects the reception of hospice care are inadequate. On the basis of fieldwork conducted in Chinese medical institutions and care facilities between 2017 and 2022, this paper draws on a theoretical framework that distinguishes between declarative culture and nondeclarative culture at the personal level to explain the discrepancies between healthcare professionals' beliefs regarding the value of hospice care and their daily healthcare practice. Moreover, this paper uses the concept of cultural scaffolding to demonstrate that the culture of hospice care and the culture of medical institutions are not separate, independent entities but rather evolve together to produce new and local forms of hospice care in the Chinese context. This analysis helps clarify the obstacles and opportunities associated with hospice care in China and contributes to existing research on the reception of hospice care worldwide.