Sociology 3370F/G Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Biomedicine, Iatrogenesis, Reductionism
17 Feb 2019
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Biomedicine: linked to western culture: not a universal truth, biomedical ideas of the body, health and disease as culturally constructed realities, ie. shaped by values, norms and biases at particular time and place. Fundamental aspects of biomedicine held as unquestionable truths : Mind-body dualism: rooted in the philosophical foundations of plato and descartes, and in the history of western medical science in which biomedicine developed a. Clinical gaze (foucault), emphasizing direct observation and physical examinations that distinguish mind and body as separate entities. Biological reductionism: disease reduced to biochemical or neurophysiological dysfunctions, excluding social, psychological and behavioural dimensions of illness. Doctrine of speci c disease etiology: disease caused by speci c, identi able organic agents or pathogens: ex. germs, bacteria, viruses, genetic dysfunctions leading to over-reliance on. Magic bullets or pharmaceuticals: resulted in a reliance on drugs, depression cannot be explained, unintended consequences ongoing rise of iatrogenic diseases (disease as a result of biomedical technologies, misdiagnosis, unnecessary treatments, ex.
