About the lecture

In this lecture, we think about the role of the medical profession in the social construction of health, focusing in particular on: (i) a functionalist narrative in medical professionalism, which states that the medical profession is altruistic and working only in the interest of patients and clients; (ii) a neo-Weberian narrative of medical professionalism, which states that the medical profession is self-interested only; (iii) a Marxist narrative, which states that the medical profession works on behalf of socioeconomic order; (iv) a feminist perspective, which states that the medical profession works to support the male societal hierarchy; (v) the Parsonian perspective, which states that medical professionals have both obligations and benefits from being in their position; (vi) the neo-Weberian approach, which argues that the actions of medical professionals are done to monopolise the medical marketplace in their favour; (vii) ‘deprofessionalism’, which is the rise of the active and knowledgeable consumer in the United States medical system; (viii) a Marxist view that medical professionals were increasingly employed by the commercial sector and work on behalf of that, known as corporatisation; (ix) a view that the medical profession has been reconfigured to allow the upper echelons of the medical profession body to continue as a dominant and influential force; (x) the process of medicalisation, which refers to the medical profession being an agent of social control; (xi) Peter Conrad’s definition of medicalisation as defining a problem in medical terms and using medical interventions as treatment; (xii) the interactional level of medicalisation, wherein an individual is medicalised by the use of a biomedical diagnostic label; (xiii) the conceptual level of medicalisation, wherein medical vocabulary is used to define a problem; (xiv) the institutional level of medicalisation, where the medical professional is used as a gatekeeper to manage a problem; (xv) Ellen Annandale’s writing, which discusses diagnosis being an ‘arena for struggle’ between professionals and laypeople; (xvi) James Davies’ writing in 2014, which described the problem using the DSM in the medical profession; (xvii) processes of ‘demedicalisation’, such as mindfulness and cannabis use.

About the lecturer

Professor Michael Calnan is a professor of medical sociology in the Department of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research at the University of Kent. Professor Calnan’s research interests are in trust relations in mental health care and social influences on decision making made by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Some of Professor Calnan’s recent publications include ‘How do you measure trust in social institutions and health professionals? A systematic review of the literature (2012-2021).’ (2023) and ‘Pharmaceutical policies for gaining access to high-priced medicines: a comparative analysis between England and Brazil.’ (2022).