Medicalization Of Deviance Essays

Medicalization Of Deviance Essays Medicalization Of Deviance Paper Medicalization Of Deviance Paper In layman’s term medicalization of deviance can be explained medical tag to unethical and social behaviors. Medications are available to cure any and usually every disease from anxiety to drug addiction, homosexuality, vandalism, unattractiveness, mental disorder etc. Introduction The procedure through which functions previously recognized by religion and the law in terms of defining what is normal or desirable versus what is deviant being labeled by some of the medicine. As we move ahead with time, medicine has made its ground stronger. Mecialization of deviances has altered the prospect of criminal minded to sick. For example, due to medical involvement drug and alcoholic addicts punishment has been replaced due to many form of deviance. Advantages Medicalization of deviance has many positive sides to it. It has given civilized outlook to medical deviance. Legal and moral issues now have been given a shape of deviance. Acts are no more considered good or evil but sick or well. This deviance had also made many conditions legal. Treatments for these medical deviances are not looked down upon but given a lot of regards. Remedies for such social controls appear to be more effective and flexible (Schneider, W Joseph, Conrad, Peter, 1992). Disadvantages Like every term, medicalizaton of deviance also has darker aspects to it. It makes individual take undue advantage of their actions using it as an alibi. They become irresponsible and consider medicine morally neutral. All the immoral actions are given leverage under this umbrella. Social controls are managed through medical prescriptions and an individualistic approach is build for these complex problems (Schneider, W Joseph, Conrad, Peter, 1992). These deviance can also be an analysis of medicalization of disorders. Forms of Medicalization of Deviance After the spread of medicalization of deviance unaccepted appearance (obesity, short height, skin disease, unattractiveness), life events (Birth, death), unethical believes (racism, cast and creed, mental disorder) and actions (taking drugs, drinking alcohol, gambling, sexual activities, physical abuse) started to fall under this category. Creating deviance as illness grants a humanitarian standing making it different from evil or crime. Due to deviance the historic trend of tagging illness is now given a new term which is more civilized (McGann, PJ, Conraad, Peter. 2007). Medicalization of Deviance amongst athletes Taking drugs to stimulate an athletes’ performance is considered unethical in every field of sport. No theory or term can justify this act. It is the duty of an athlete to make sacrifices to achieve top performance, be regular with their practices, stay committed and perform well. Boosting performance by taking alcohol and justifying it by calling it cultural norms or peer pressure is in my opinion wrong. Athletes will do any or go to any extent to remain in the game. But that makes them cross their moral limits. Deviances amongst athletes can be positive and negative. Positive deviance is when someone sports man looses extra weight to fulfill their requirement (gymnastic, swimming, skating). These behaviors trail the standard of sports ethic from health to unhealthy extent. Where as in negative deviance athlete’s behavior crosses the ethics of sports ethics (missing practices, not performing well, disobeying coach) (Atkinson, Michael, Young, Kevin, 2008). Conclusion Medical terminologies have been now adopted to understand such disorders. In my opinions it is imperative to draw a thick line between actions and illness that should and should not fall under this category. Curing a drug addict is certainly not bad but doing drugs in defense of mental disorder is wrong. Deviance of medicines should avoid being used as an excuse. References Atkinson, Michael, Young, Kevin (2008). Deviance and Social Control in Sport. Human Kinetics McGann, PJ, Conraad, Peter. (2007). Materializaton of Deviance. Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology. Retrieved on July 9, 2009, from http://sitemaker. umich. edu/pjmcgann/files/mcgann___conrad_2007. pdf Schneider, W Joseph, Conrad, Peter. (1992) Deviance and Medicalization. Temple University Press.