SOCIOL 103 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Medicalization, Risk It, Falsifiability
Document Summary
When talking about social problems, we are more likely to speak of diseases, syndromes, disorders, or addictions -- words that seem grounded in medical, scientific classifications. When they talk about social issues, contemporary americans are less likely to accept the judgements of religious leaders, and more likely to defer to doctors. Constructions of social problems reflect shifting patterns of institutional influence. Experts are presumed to possess especially authoritative knowledge, and other people may defer to this expertise. Experts rank among the most influential claimsmakers because they are though to have special knowledge that qualifies them to interpret social problems. Their status as experts can give them easier access to policymakers so that they are part of the polity. Medicalization: process of defining troubling conditions as medical problems. Medicalization seems to shift responsibility away from the individual. They merit sympathy and support, rather than criticism. Provides a familiar frame for thinking about the issue.
