SOCY 200 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Pattern Hair Loss, Adderall, Methylphenidate

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What is meant by the term, medicalization? with reference to examples, describe how medicalization may be criticized. Medicalization is the process by which all normal aspects of life are constructed or redefined as medical problems. This includes all life processes such as ageing, childbirth, childhood behaviour, emotionality, sleep and sexual desire. Although medicalization can be seen as a positive, as it serves a larger humanitarian purpose in that it decreases crude, punitive sanctions for deviance thus lessens the stigma associated with deviant behaviour the consequences of medicalization are largely discussed. This analysis intends to argue these critiques to provide insight on the way in which medicalization can be seen as a ploy by the medical community to capitalize upon society. When defining medicalization there are five stages that occur, they are as follows. First, defining the behaviour as in some way deviant from the normal and therefore it is problematic.