The Medicalization of Society - Book Report/Review Example

Medicalization of Society It would not be a mistake to point out that the development of the human civilization is closelyconnected to the development of science. Indeed, from the very beginning, people were exploring the world in order to find ways to make their life easier, safer and more comfortable. That is why over the course of history science served the humanity well, providing it with new abilities and opportunities. However, at the present moment that it is a peculiar situation when the technological development no longer serves the humanity, but guides it and encourages development in a certain direct. This paper will provide the analysis of a book that deals with a similar topic. Thus, the name of the book is The Medicalization of Society: On the Transformation of Human Conditions into Treatable Disorders and it was written by Peter Conrad. To begin with, it would be rather important to provide a brief introduction of the author since this is likely to contribute to a better understanding of his scientific interest as well as the point of view which is taken in the texts. Peter Conrad is an American sociologist who is particularly interested in the relationship between science, particularly medicine, as well as the society. He has written numerous books that deal with the peculiarities of healthcare in the developing countries, the place of health in the social environment as well as medicalization of different deviant behaviors. In other words, it would not be a mistake to point out that over thirty years of being active in this particular field, Conrad has taken a peculiar position, according to which the increased role of medicine in the society is condemned as negative. One of the most important points that should be emphasized in this case is that the scholar in question does not simply criticize the above mentioned process, but has been examining it in various countries as well as fields of human activity which provided him with a substantial data that was later used to create this book. Now, it would be advantageous to analyze the major themes as well as questions that are raised in the book. The beginning of the book deals with the broad meaning of the term medicalization. Thus, this approach towards viewing the changes that happened in the modern society is reflected in the works of other researchers as well (Cook, 2011). In general it may be characterized as the dominance of medicine in the fields that used to be considered normal. The next point which is analyzed in great detail is the increased presence of medicine in life of a modern man: it is used to treat many different conditions such as baldness, erectile dysfunction and even the newly discovered “man menopause”. The author than discusses how conditions which usually were diagnosed in children enter the lives of the adults, such as adult ADHD (Conrad, 2007). The next chapter is dedicated to introducing growth hormones in the organism and the implications that it has for further enhancements. The issue of sexual orientation and treatment of homosexuality is also analyzed within the book, suggested that it should be remedicalized. The next chapter of the book provides numerical data for consideration of the effect that medicalization has had on the society. The author argues that it infiltrated virtually every imaginable field of human activity and expanded past the logical limits of it. He also analyzes the driving forces behind this process. According to the book, it is not the professionals who encourage the society to rely on medicine more, but the pharmaceutical companies that are able to make good business out of it. In other words, the development of the process that is being described in the book is largely affected by the economical area of the society and should not be evaluated independently without taking into account some of the most important players in this field. The question of sources that were used in the course of the analysis is a rather significant one. Thus, if one takes a look at the history of academic activity of this sociologist, one can not help noticing that for roughly thirty years he has been researching this issue from one perspective or another. That is why, it would not be a mistake to point out that over this time he has accumulated a considerable amount of information in the validity of which one can hardly doubt. Another point that should be mentioned is that book was written relatively recently and feature actual information about the issue in question. In other words, the information that is featured in the book can be easily verified by the audience with the help of the Internet. Indeed, this is one of the greatest advantages of the modern word since it encourages the author to verify information themselves and not provide books that contain false data. Speaking particularly about the book in question one should point out that it makes use of a considerable number of modern sources that are easily accessible via search engines. In order to understand the significance of the book, it may be rather important to analyze the way the author used the modes of persuasion in the book. Thus, the very first one that was engaged quite effectively appeals to formal logic and it usually referred to as logos. The author uses it in an excellent manner, presenting his arguments so that everyone could see the fine logic behind his claims. For example, one of the chapters is dedicated to presenting the way the society changed its perception of the different conditions such as ADHD: at first it was a typical condition with which children were primarily diagnosed. However, over the years the underperformance of the adults started to be explained in terms of ADHD as well which resulted in the increased the consequential reliance on drugs. Such simple examples make the claims which are advocated by the author extremely persuasive. Overall, it would not be a mistake to point out that logos should be considered to among the most frequently used modes of persuasion of the book. Thus, the latter is intended for the audience that will consider the fact that the text is presenting and not be guided by the emotional reaction while evaluating it. The next mode of persuasion which is employed quite effectively appeals to the feelings or emotions of the audience and is called pathos. In spite of the fact that the author does not put it directly, but there are passages that describe situations which are quite provoking. For example, it was thought that the idea of a menopause is characteristic to the female organism. However, the author suggests that the pharmaceutical companies were able to convince the society that there is a different kind of menopause that is experienced by men as well. There is not doubt in the fact that the author brings this example to show that medicalization has led to the emergence of the absurd conditions that, nevertheless, require treatment. In spite of the fact that the text presents different elements of the academic style, the use of pathos might be justified by the desire of the author to present a certain human touch to the problem. There is one more mode of persuasion that makes the book extremely interesting. Thus, the author often appeals to various authorities or sources in order to prove his claims. This kind of persuasion is called ethos. Indeed, the author often supports his ideas with different evidence, especially that one that is promoted by the pharmaceutical companies. The impact of the latter on lives of the people has been researched by other scholars as well who point out that the people are largely disoriented by the available option to enhance their organism (Harbin, 2014). In other words, the author presents evidence that the problem of medicalization as well as the negative impact that it is associated with is not some kind of an abstract issue, but an important social phenomenon. It is rather clear that the author is trying to support his evidence with the data that can hardly be disputed by the opponent. This, in its turn, provides his with the sufficient basis in order to present claims which criticize the process in question, but are able to retain the objective evaluation of the situation. The tone the author is an essential element for the understanding of the position of the author towards the issue as well as his attitude to the information that he discusses. Thus, it must be noted that the author has been an opponent of process in question for a considerable number of years; so, there is no doubt that he is highly negative about it. Nevertheless, the text does not feature any aggressive comments about the issues, but only provides a well structured criticism based on the negative consequences that might emerge in the long distance. This means that the author is able to maintain the objective tone of analysis and present the problem from all the points of view. This may be regarded as one of the merits of the book. Indeed, it is rather obvious that a book which largely presents the criticism of a particular issue is likely to be biased towards this issue and may not be used in the latter discussion. However, the big advantage of the text in question is that it is objective and may be engaged while considering the pros and cons of the process of medicalization. It is quite obvious that such a publication is likely to provide a considerable amount of criticism. That is why, over the book the author makes certain reservations in order to show that he anticipates critics to take a different position. Thus, he tries to be an objective observer and talks about the negative impact of medicalization not in the terms that might be regarded as offensive by some people, but employs evidence to show the harm that is it able to do. This is a rather clever strategic step as in this case the critics will not be able to direct their attack on the personal opinion of the author, but will have to refute the evidence that was brought up by him. It is true that sometimes the people who are engaged in the discussion about a particular controversial topic might utilize argumentum ad hominem which puts the opposite side in a rather difficult situation, but the author of this book is not likely to experience such problem. In addition to that, on several occasions the author thinks about the possible discussion about some of the most controversial questions that he raises and prepared a ground for his defense. As has been mentioned earlier, the book in question is the result of the research that was carried out in the course of thirty years. That is why, the author does not experience any lack of evidence, but is willing to present the most striking cases in order to persuade the audience. In other words, he does not attack the above mentioned process as such pay direct the attention of the audience and the consequences that can already be observed only after slightly more that a quarter of the century. Overall, the author suggests that the critics should accept the ugly truth about medicalization and not adhere to a position that is backed up by certain business interests. Thus, the general message of the book focuses on the idea that medicalization is not the natural process of development, but a phenomenon that is artificial to a certain extent. That is why it is absolutely possible to influence its development. Finally, it may be quite important to analyze the significance of the book within the field for which it was intended as well as its importance in relation to other similar works. It would be an exaggeration to point out that this book provides an interesting perspective on the issue: on the one hand, it features a clear as well as structured criticism of the process of medicalization, supporting it with the evidence that is based on the information that is currently obtained; on the other hand, it shows the easily observable results of this negative social phenomenon which appears as early as after a quarter of the century. This means that the book shows put emphasis on the perspective of the development of medicalization and warns the audience about the possible consequences. This is particularly important when it comes to analyzing such a phenomenon as the future is more affected by it than the present since it takes some time for the consequences to build up and reveal the true nature that they have on the society. As one can easily see on the examples which were presented in the paragraphs above, the book that is titled The Medicalization of Society: On the Transformation of Human Conditions into Treatable Disorders might be regarded as a fine piece of writing that explores the issue of medicalization and provides the readers with a well structured, unbiased as well as objective account of the situation putting emphasis on the evidence that can be verified easily. The author did a great job and based the content of the book on his personal research that has been carried out for roughly three decades. That is why the objectivity of the book is beyond any doubt. In addition to that, the author maintains a polite tone which greatly contributes to the persuasive power of the text. References Conrad, P. (2007). The medicalization of society: On the transformation of human conditions into treatable disorders. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Cook, H. (2011). The History of Medicine and the Scientific Revolution. ISIS, 102(1), 102-108. Harbin, A. (2014). Disorientation and the medicalization of struggle. International Journal of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics, 7(1), 99-121. Read More