SOCIOL 3J03 Study Guide - Final Guide: Cardiotocography, Childbirth, Body Modification
23 Mar 2015
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Document Summary
Non-medical problems (behaviours, attitudes, etc) become defined and treated as medical problems usually in terms of illness, disorders or conditions. Medicalization is a socio-cultural process by which literal meaning is to make medical however, it has broader or more subtle meanings often the term is used in the context of a critique i. e. as in over medicalization . Rather than referring to something that has become medical. 1970s- # of studies on medicalization of deviance various deviant behaviours were racist as diseases e. g. hyperactivity in children, child abuse, mental illness, alcoholism, homosexuality. # of social problems (behaviors once considered sinful/deviant) become medical problems e. g. depression, obesity, homosexuality. Medicalization must include all problems that come to be defined in medical terms. Medical model/language is used to define the problem however, only a few medical professional may be involved. Medicalization can occur on at least 3 distinct levels: conceptual here, medicalization is part of a broader definitional process.
