Medicalization and Social Control

Conrad, Peter. "Medicalization and Social Control". Annual Review of Sociology. Vol 18. 1992. pg. 209-232.


I have been thinking lately about the way medicalization relates to social control. In this article Conrad defines "medicalization" as "a process by which nonmedical problems become defned and treated as medical problems, usually in terms of illnesses or disorders" (Conrad, pg. 209). This article goes on to describe the way medicalization connects with ideas about social control we have learned in this course. He describes studies about medicalization and social control over the last 30 years. He describes the issues of "the emergence, definition, contexts, process, degree, range, consequences, critiques, and future of medicalization and demedicalization" (Conrad, pg. 209).

Play the Prisoner's Dilema Game!

Bryn Mayr College has a website where you can actually play a mini-prisoner's dilema game, it is similar to the game theory exercises we did in class (like the stop/go game).

Each turn, the player and the computer each must choose whether to "compete" or "cooperate" with each other. Each chooses without knowing what the other party will choose. If both choose to cooperate each get 3 "gold coins." If one says to cooperate and the other says compete, then the one who chose compete gets 5 gold coins and the looser gets none. If both say compete each player gets one coin.

After playing this many times, it seems the computer has been programed so that if I choose cooperate the first time, so does the computer, and as long as I continue to select cooperate, so does the computer, so we both just keep getting coins until the program announces a tie. But if I select compete at any point, the computer starts selecting compete sometimes too.

Stanford Game Theory Site

I found great resource on Game Theory which we have been discussing in class. This website clearly describes game theory, and links game theory to discussions by earlier philosophers.

The Pandemic is Here!

We did an exercise about this in class.... here is the real thing! It's interesting how many of the ideas are similar to the ideas we came up with in lass (for example, quarantining sick students in separate rooms and bringing them food)

"Dear Mills Students,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to address your concerns in terms of pandemic flu on the Mills campus and to inform you of the policies and plans Mills has in place. The College’s aim is to support students who have flu symptoms and to protect the health and safety of the Mills community.

We are asking that any students with flu symptoms stay home and seek medical advice. Flu symptoms may include fever, body aches, headache, coughing, sore throat, chills, and fatigue.

All students with flu-like symptoms should call the Kaiser 24-hour Advice Nurse line at 877-645-5757. They will assess whether or not you need to be seen at the Student Health Center or another facility if during the evening/weekend. (All students, whether a Kaiser member or not, can get a medical record number by calling 800-464-4000. You must have a medical record number when calling the advice line.)

If a medical professional advises a student to isolate due to illness, the following steps should be taken:

A. Commuter students should remain home and not return to Mills campus until they are free of fever for 24 hours without taking fever reducer.

B. Residential students who can stay with family or friends near campus should stay with family/friends and not return to Mills campus until they are free of fever for 24 hours without taking fever reducer.

Commuter and residential students who can stay with family or friends should call the Division of Student Life (DSL) at 430-2130 to speak with one of the following DSL staff members, or send email to deanofstudents@mills.edu to request that a Letter of Consideration be sent to your faculty/campus employer stating that you will not be in class until you are able: Kennedy Golden, Associate Dean of Students (kennedyg@mills.edu), Kim Baranek, Director of Wellness of Community Outreach (kbaranek@mills.edu), or Joi Lewis, Dean of Student Life and Vice Provost (deanofstudents@mills.edu).

C. C. Residential students who need to stay on campus should contact their RA, RD, or one of the following Division of Student Life Staff by calling 430-2130: Kim Baranek, Director of Wellness of Community Outreach (kbaranek@mills.edu), Monique Young, Director of Residential Life (myoung@mills.edu), Dr. Joi Lewis, Dean of Student Life and Vice Provost (deanofstudents@mills.edu). Responding staff will assist residential students in relocating to a room in a residence hall designated for care of sick students. It is recommended by medical professionals that sick students isolate from the general community. Students will need to stay in this room until they are free of fever for 24 hours without taking fever reducer. A Letter of Consideration will be sent to your faculty/campus employer stating that you will not be in class until you are able.

Residential students who need to stay on campus will be provided with the following by Mills College:

-a room designated specifically for a sick student

- transportation to the designated room

-delivery of three meals per day; consisting of foods recommended for people with flu symptoms

-a care basket containing: thermometer, Tylenol, masks, tissue, cough drops, toiletries

-24 hour support from the Residence Director (RD) on duty

Students who are not ill themselves, but who have concerns about friends or roommates should contact DSL at 430-2130 to get advice about how to assist their fellow students and how to also attempt to prevent themselves from becoming ill. It is important that sick students be assessed by medical professionals and not try to self medicate or hope that it will just pass. Hopefully every member of the Mills community who becomes ill will fully and easily recover; however, this flu season is unlike flu seasons we have experienced and erring on the side of safety regarding illness is strongly suggested.

Faculty and campus employers have been advised to send ill students home.

Information about receiving an H1N1 vaccination will be sent via Student Notice email as soon as more vaccine (shot form) becomes available. The seasonal flu shot vaccination can be received at the Student Health Center at CPM 117 by making an appointment or walking into the Health Center. Once a person is experiencing symptoms of the flu, the vaccine will not be administered until the student is well."

See Something, Say Something!

An announcement in today's college student news...

"See Something, Say Something

In order to maintain a safe and secure environment for the students, faculty and staff of Mills College, the Department of Public Safety needs your help! Our "See Something, Say Something" campaign enlists students, staff, faculty and the Mills community to report any suspicious behavior.

We can all help prevent crime by being aware of our surroundings and the behaviors of others. If you see something, say something. If you are on campus, alert a campus safety staff member or college official. If you are off campus, alert the local police department.

Report anyone behaving suspiciously:

* Someone shouting "HELP" or "FIRE";

* Someone unfamiliar to you loitering on campus grounds or near pedestrian entrances to campus and that person doesn't appear to have any legitimate purpose for being there;

* Anyone forcibly breaking into and entering a car.

* Anyone carrying a weapon.

* Someone behaving in a way that makes you uneasy or nervous.



Follow these steps when contacting security, law enforcement and medical service providers:

* Remain calm.

* Dial 911 from any home, business, or pay phone. From a Cell Phone dial the Oakland Police Department ( OPD) at (510) 777-3211. The Oakland Police Department Non-Emergency Number is (510) 777-3333.

* Notify Public Safety or your 911 call. (510-430-5555)

* Identify yourself (name, address, and phone number) and give your location.

* Describe what is happening or what you saw happen.

* If there is a suspect or vehicle involved, provide the police dispatcher with a detailed description and the direction the suspect/vehicle is travelling in."