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A New Time of Reckoning, a Time for New Reckoning: Views on Health and Society, Tensions between Medicine and the Social Sciences, and the Process of Medicalization

Author

Listed:
  • Diogo Silva da Cunha

    (Institute of Social Sciences, University of Lisbon, Av. Prof. Aníbal Bettencourt 9, 1600-189 Lisbon, Portugal)

  • Hélder Raposo

    (Lisbon School of Health Technology, Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon, Av. D. João II, Lote 4.69.01, 1990-096 Lisboa, Portugal
    CIES-IUL—Centre for Research and Studies in Sociology, ISCTE-IUL, Avenida das Forças Armadas, 1649-026 Lisbon, Portugal)

Abstract

This article seeks to capture variations and tensions in the relationships between the health–illness–medicine complex and society. It presents several theoretical reconstructions, established theses and arguments are reassessed and criticized, known perspectives are realigned according to a new theorizing narrative, and some new notions are proposed. In the first part, we argue that relations between the medical complex and society are neither formal–abstract nor historically necessary. In the second part, we take the concept of medicalization and the development of medicalization critique as an important example of the difficult coalescence between health and society, but also as an alternative to guide the treatment of these relationships. Returning to the medicalization studies, we suggest a new synthesis, reconceptualizing it as a set of modalities, including medical imperialism. In the third part, we endorse replacing a profession-based approach to medicalization with a knowledge-based approach. However, we argue that such an approach should include varieties of sociological knowledge. In this context, we propose an enlarged knowledge-based orientation for standardizing the relationships between the health–illness–medicine complex and society.

Suggested Citation

  • Diogo Silva da Cunha & Hélder Raposo, 2022. "A New Time of Reckoning, a Time for New Reckoning: Views on Health and Society, Tensions between Medicine and the Social Sciences, and the Process of Medicalization," Societies, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-51, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsoctx:v:12:y:2022:i:4:p:119-:d:887369
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Vrecko, Scott, 2015. "Everyday drug diversions: A qualitative study of the illicit exchange and non-medical use of prescription stimulants on a university campus," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 297-304.
    2. Morrison, Michael, 2015. "Growth hormone, enhancement and the pharmaceuticalisation of short stature," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 305-312.
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    Cited by:

    1. Violeta Alarcão & Sónia Pintassilgo, 2023. "Old and New Actors and Phenomena in the Three-M Processes of Life and Society: Medicalization, Moralization and Misinformation," Societies, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-4, January.

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