Examples Of The Medicalization Of Deviance

Module 6:
•Define deviance and its relationship to the social context
-deviance is a violation of a social norm but not necessarily a violation of our values; people do tend to be put off by deviant behavior, even if it’s relatively harmless; whether or not something is perceived to be deviant depends on the social context in which it occurs
•Understand the differences between how conflict theory and functionalism explain deviance
-functionalism of deviance -> to affirm cultural values and norms, to clarify moral boundaries, to bring people together, and to encourage social change
-according to conflict theory, the most powerful group in society has the power to define what is considered normal and what is considered deviant; each culture has a fair amount of discretion over how it defines what is normal and what is not, however, not all members of a given culture have equal freedom to contribute to such understanding

•Define and know some examples of the medicalization of deviance
-medicalization of deviance is a social process through which a previously normal human condition (behavioral, physiological or emotional) becomes a medical problem in need of treatment under the jurisdiction of medical professionals; when deviant behavior becomes refined as a physical deformity and it is beyond the control of the individual and / or when behavior that once believed to be a voluntary violation of social norms becomes re-defined as a