After you have read ch. 5, “The Meaning and Experience of Illness” and watched Peter Conrad’s lecture on medicalization, please complete the following in no less than 300 words:
1. Reflecting on the reading and Conrad’s talk (you should refer to both in ways that it is clear that you read/watched), what examples in everyday life have you seen that fit the concept of medicalization? (you can absolutely draw from personal experience if you want!) Describe how/why you believe this is an example of something that is “medicalized.”
2. Now that you have an example, consider what the “engines” might be (or what is “causing”/influencing this medicalization). (This could be pharma, medical providers, social values, social movements, etc.)
3. What are the potential consequences of this form of medicalization? (in other words, so what?) Consider what these definitions mean for individuals, bodies, society at large, institutions, policies, medical practices, etc.
This should be an exercise in exploring your ideas!