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Modafinil in the media: Metaphors, medicalisation and the body

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  • Coveney, Catherine M.
  • Nerlich, Brigitte
  • Martin, Paul

Abstract

This paper uses UK media coverage of the sleep drug modafinil to investigate the medicalisation of sleep at a conceptual level. Using metaphorical frame analysis we investigate the conceptual links created in media discourse between sleep and health, and the body and technology in the UK. Using this novel analytical tool we explore under what circumstances modafinil is constructed as a necessary medical treatment or a (il)legitimate performance enhancement and, how in this process, various images of the body are constructed. We found that media discourse on modafinil was structured through four types of sleep discourse: patient, sports, recreational, and occupational. Each discourse was built up around the specific deployment of three central metaphorical frames 'war', 'commodity' and 'competition' that acted to construct the biological body in a particular way. How the body was framed in each discourse impacted upon how modafinil use was portrayed in terms of therapy or enhancement and the level of engagement with a medical rhetoric. This had distinct normative implications strongly influencing the legitimacy afforded to modafinil use in each domain. We argue that medical authority acts to legitimise modafinil use for repair, restoration and relief of suffering, whilst being deployed to pass judgment on its use in bodies already perceived as functioning normally. This leads us to conclude that conceptually, the acceptability of 'enhancement' is strongly tied to context of use and intricately related to medical social control.

Suggested Citation

  • Coveney, Catherine M. & Nerlich, Brigitte & Martin, Paul, 2009. "Modafinil in the media: Metaphors, medicalisation and the body," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(3), pages 487-495, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:68:y:2009:i:3:p:487-495
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    1. Moreira, Tiago, 2006. "Sleep, health and the dynamics of biomedicine," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(1), pages 54-63, July.
    2. Wallis, Patrick & Nerlich, Brigitte, 2005. "Disease metaphors in new epidemics: the UK media framing of the 2003 SARS epidemic," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 60(11), pages 2629-2639, June.
    3. ., 2005. "Introduction: Democracy and Exchange," Chapters, in: Democracy and Exchange, chapter 1, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    4. Seale, Clive & Boden, Sharon & Williams, Simon & Lowe, Pam & Steinberg, Deborah, 2007. "Media constructions of sleep and sleep disorders: A study of UK national newspapers," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(3), pages 418-430, August.
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    2. Basso, Frédéric & Robert-Demontrond, Philippe & Hayek, Maryvonne & Anton, Jean-Luc & Nazarian, Bruno & Roth, Muriel & Oullier, Olivier, 2014. "Why people drink shampoo? Food imitating products are fooling brains and endangering consumers for marketing purposes," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 59224, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    3. Delbaere, Marjorie, 2013. "Metaphors and myths in pharmaceutical advertising," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 21-29.
    4. Frédéric Basso & Philippe Robert-Demontrond & Maryvonne Hayek & Jean-Luc Anton & Bruno Nazarian & Muriel Roth & Olivier Oullier, 2014. "Why People Drink Shampoo? Food Imitating Products Are Fooling Brains and Endangering Consumers for Marketing Purposes," Post-Print halshs-01183005, HAL.

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