SOCA01H3 : mackinnon
Document Summary
3 social causes of illnesses and death: human environmental factors (social class, occupation, lifestyle factors (smoking, diet, factors related to public health and health care systems (sewage, safe water, sanitation) 1/6 americans: no access to health care and lack adequate coverage. Medicalization of deviance- tendency for medical definitions of deviant behavior to become prevalent over time. Deviants- chastised (criticize/discipline), punished, and otherwise socially controlled by members of clergy, neighbours, family, and justice system. What used to defined as badness is now sickness. 1974- homosexuality-considered psychiatric disorder for more than a century by apa. Destigmatize homosexuality by activists, it was thus delabeled as mental illness. Find classification of mental disorders useful (profit for pharmacy companies to make products claimed to cure conditions/illness) Cultural context stimulates inflation in number and scope of mental disorders. Promoting mental disorders giving rise to overdiagnosis. (ex post traumatic disorder first applied to vietnam vets now applied to children who watch action movies)
