Medical Sociology

After beginning his historical work in Switzerland in the 1950s and then continuing it in the United States at the Menninger Foundation, Henri Ellenberger (1905–1993) became the leading historian of " dynamic psychiatry ". This expression commonly denotes mental medicine that draws from psychotherapeutic practices and psychological theories to improve our understanding of mental diseases and to cure them. Although still used today, usually in juxtaposition to 19th century alienism or to biological psychiatry, the origin and meaning of this expression are unclear. An unpublished lecture (1956) by Ellenberger on this subject, accompanied by an explanatory introduction, is reproduced here to shed light on Ellenberger's interpretation of that term. This article additionally aims to draw certain parallels and distinctions between Ellenberger, Michel Foucault and George Devereux's teaching in the 1950s. Considering that the history of psychiatry is now a well-established speciality in the academic world, Ellenberger's lecture is also an original document which enables us to trace the professionalization of psychiatric historiography as an academic discipline back to its beginnings after World War II.

Theorizing a sociology of emotion that links micro-level resources to macro-level forces, this article extends previous work on emotional capital in relation to emotional experiences and management. Emerging from Bourdieu's theory of social practice, emotional capital is a form of cultural capital that includes the emotion-specific, trans-situational resources that individuals activate and embody in distinct fields. Contrary to prior conceptualizations, I argue that emotional capital is neither wholly gender-neutral nor exclusively feminine. Men may lay claim to emotional capital as a valued resource within particular fields. The concept of emotional capital should be seen as distinct from emotion management and felt emotional experience and distinctions between primary and secondary sources of capital clarify the simultaneously durable and evolving nature of capital and the habitus. To illustrate these conceptual refinements, I use interview and diary data from male nurses. Men bring primary emotional capital, developed during primary socialization, to the nursing profession while also developing secondary capital through occupational socialization centered on empathy and compassion. The construct of emotional capital is refined as a structured yet dynamic resource developed through primary and secondary socialization and activated and embodied in everyday emotion practice.

Disability studies and critical trauma studies are both deeply concerned with the social construction of meaning and identity. However, these disciplines often remain mutually disengaged, inadvertently overlooking shared mechanisms of oppression that foster stigma. This article explores the novel depiction of disability and trauma in the play Amy and the Orphans by Lindsey Ferrentino. Amy, a character with Down syndrome, challenges disability stereotypes by exercising autonomy; she is not solely defined by her disability or her experiences of abuse. The theatrical narrative is one of both disability and trauma, encouraging a nuanced reflection on the origins of stigma and revealing how theatre can be used as a tool of resistance to reclaim agency through performances that challenge conventional 'disability' stereotypes.

Malta Medical Journal Volume 28 Issue 03 2016 Abstract: This research analyzes social interaction of cancer patients in Malta. In particular it applies a qualitative sociological approach to verify how cancer patients interact with family members and society. The research concludes that social interaction of cancer survivors in Malta is characterized by mixed experiences, but at the same time, all cancer patients emphasize the importance of family support. A major finding is that cancer patients do not simply receive support from family members, but also provide it themselves to their relatives. This is not an intended effect of cancer survivorship, but nevertheless it helps strengthen social bonds within families of cancer patients.

Аннотация. В профилактике инсультов и борьбе с их последствиями важна не только работа системы здравоохранения, но и самосохранительное поведение населения, которое в значимой мере обусловлено компетентностью в данном вопросе. Изучение информированности населения об инсульте и выработка рекомендаций по информационной политике – основные задачи данного исследования. Проведено 2 опроса в Москве в октябре-декабре 2019 г., выборка каждого – 800 человек. Исследование обнаружило рост между волнами числа тех, кто считает, что знает признаки инсульта (до 65%). Несмотря на большинство правильных ответов, данная самооценка не всегда подтверждается реальными знаниями, в т.ч. инсульт путают с ишемической болезнью сердца, инфарктом и эпилепсией. Меньшую компетентность демонстрируют мужчины и люди с начальным/средним образованием, более молодые респонденты. 94% респондентов при появлении признаков инсульта вызовут скорую помощь, 16% начнут самостоятельно оказывать помощь, в основном их действия будут корректными, хотя встречается ряд заблуждений. Среди основных факторов риска инсульта респонденты называют наличие вредных привычек. Население чаще обращается к таким источникам информации, как родственники/знакомые (25%) и интернет (22%). Исследование выявило запрос населения на корректную информацию об инсультах. Желательна большая представленность экспертно рецензируемых материалов в информационном поле.

Me medicine vs. we medicine: reclaiming biotechnology for the common good, by Donna Dickenson, New York, Columbia University Press, 2013, 296 pp., £19.95 (hardback), ISBN 978-0-231-15974-6

“Is personalised medicine replacing public healthcare in ways that are ultimately detrimental to all of us?” This is the central question that Donna Dickenson sets out to answer in her most recent book Me Medicine vs. We Medicine. Presenting itself as a “reality check” for the much-publicized claims about the desirability –and often the inevitability – of revolution(s) and sundry “paradigm shifts” to be brought about through personalized medicine, the book centres on four case studies: direct-to-consumer genetic testing, private cord blood banking, pharmacogenomics and human enhancement technologies. These represent the “me medicine” of the title; the individualized self-knowledge and self-management offered by direct-to-consumer genetic (and genomic) testing, the patient-tailored drug regimens promised by pharmacogenetics (PGx), the evocation of parental duty to privately bank umbilical cord blood as a future self-repair kit of stem cells for individual children and the possibilities for self-improvement suggested by biomedical
enhancement.

Captured and branded in the highly recognizable image of the pink ribbon, the politics of breast cancer at the start of the 21st century is markedly hopeful (given the grim statistics) and surprisingly compliant with the medical establishment’s defined health goals and approaches to addressing the breast cancer epidemic.  In keeping with this volume’s theme of “Working to be Healthy”, this chapter examines and evaluates how the pink ribbon message has shaped and organized social response to breast cancer. The work in question is “healthwork”, a term found in the critical health literature denoting the active and purposeful work that people do to look after their health (Mykhalovskiy and McCoy, 2002). Healthwork analysis tends to focus on personal care practices—taking medicines, dealing with healthcare practitioners, informal care-giving, health information seeking, etc.—that are then subject to examination of how those individual actions invite extended relations of governance and ruling (Mykhalovskiy, McCoy and Bresalier, 2004).  In this examination of breast cancer campaigns, the same analytic concern with governance is taken, but the health-related work is extended beyond personal care and self-surveillance to also include the volunteer work done by many concerned citizens in their contributions of time, energy, and money to support campaigns for the cure.

In this chapter, I argue that while the appropriation of the language and themes of the early women’s health movement frames pink ribbon activism as a highly personal, emancipatory, and socially-responsible individual effort, this brand of breast cancer activism instead serves to fund a limited biomedical research agenda that is largely shielded from public scrutiny.  This agenda has been universalized through endearing “hero” narratives of personal struggle that inspire civic engagement by complicit consumers rather than critical activists. Pink ribbon activism problematically diverges from the women’s health movement’s demand for participation in setting the research agenda and determining treatment strategies. This neglect is troubling, given that breast cancer discourse is so fraught with contested knowledge claims regarding disease aetiology, prevention, and treatment. While the pink ribbon message offers hope and optimism, it does so by suppressing many counterclaims, disputes, and ambiguities surrounding the problem of breast cancer. Instead of soft “pink”, a more critical social response to breast cancer is needed in order to ensure women’s informed participation in addressing this serious challenge to women’s health.

La plateforme opensource MyWebIntelligence (ou MyWI,) est un projet de recherche produit par le laboratoire MICA dans le cadre de l’Institut des Humanités Digitales qui vise à fournir un outil stratégique dans l’analyse et l’intelligence de la communication sur Internet.

Il s’agit d’un « crawler » d’une nouvelle génération qui constitue, à partir d’un dictionnaire de mots clés, une base de données des pages web qualifiées au service de l’intelligence stratégique. Il intégrera non seulement de nombreuses sources de données externes et Open Data mais aussi les derniers algorithmes de qualification de données (SNA, TextAnalysis, etc.)

Le CHU de Bordeaux a souhaité participer aux bêta tests de cette plateforme autour d’un projet pilote qui vise à mettre en place une étude débouchant sur une veille du discours thérapeutique et affilié. En effet le web a bouleversé l’ordre du discours médical. Première source d’information du patient et des accompagnants, il est un espace non structuré voire anarchique de prise de parole où la légitimité des savoirs et la hiérarchisation des connaissances s’avèrent difficiles. Pourtant ces « savoirs » sont aujourd’hui de plus en plus prégnant dans l’univers du malade.

MyWebIntelligence peut fournir les moyens d’appréhender, de qualifier et de hiérarchiser une masse de discours considérable afin de cartographier l’univers discursif de l’information médicale pédiatrique. L’ensemble du corps médical pourra ainsi non seulement avoir des études en temps réel sur le discours thérapeutique en ligne mais aussi mieux appréhender les acteurs hétérogènes du savoir et leurs stratégies argumentaires.

Dans la société digitale, si le médecin n’est plus seul dans la prescription médicale, le médecin 2.0 reprend une place prépondérante dans la diffusion de la prescription scientifique.

The book is the result of a postgraduate research study carried out in the academic year 1975/76 at the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology (IFiS) at the Polish Academy of Science (PAN) in Warsaw when I had a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). The work was done under the guidance of my scientific supervisor, Prof. Magdalena Sokołowska, head of the department of Medical Sociology at the IFiS. The book is divided into four parts. Part I gives an introduction into the specific historical and geopolitical features, traditions and the so called "national character" of the Poles. Part II is focused on the history of medical care in the polish territories since the end of the nineteenth century, exemplified by summaries of selected life stories (pamiętniki) from medical doctors from-than divided-different territories, different social classes and different generations.

This paper discusses the growth and various iterations of the mental health movements (MHM) in the United States. An analysis of the portrayal of mental illness in popular culture, government institutions, and collective movements elucidates how modern discussions of mental health came to be and what progress may be seen in the future.

Physicians and other health care professionals are often urged to provide “culturally sensitive” care. Numerous guidebooks describe how clinicians should provide care to patients from different cultures. Synthesizing survey data, case studies from the medical literature, ethnographic reports, and cultural guides for clinicians offer general standards and practical tips concerning how members of particular ethnic groups should be treated. By now, clinicians will be familiar with many of the assertions made in such guides. Navajos want to hear positive news; they do not want to receive “bad” news about terminal diagnoses. Koreans are highly sociocentric; family members of patients will most likely want to make health-related decisions for these patients when they are seriously ill. Many other standard claims about the values, social practices, family arrangements, and rites of passage of particular cultures could be added to this list. The concept of culture can play a useful role in medical education, medical research, and clinical practice. Attending to the role of culture in various social settings can serve as a useful reminder that what seems obvious to one person might not be obvious at all to someone else. While some scholars argue that it is time to discard the concept of culture, I do not think it is possible to eliminate all references to culture. We need to be cautious, however, when making claims about a particular patient’s “cultural framework.”

To deal with breast cancer, women often break social norms that stress traditionally feminine traits such as compliance and putting the needs of others first. At the same time, many women take on new nurturing roles to support other diagnosed women, thereby relinquishing to some degree the individualistic approach they found necessary to cope with the illness in the first place.

The demand for healing appears to produce a kind of ‘market for healing.’ It is often not possible to evaluate healing’s effectiveness, utility, or economic efficiency (‘value for money’), however, The market for healing, therefore, is governed less by price than by a parallel market for belief.  In the Umjindi (Barberton) municipality, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, medical choices are made on the basis of belief systems since the effectiveness of therapies is itself contingent on belief (‘placebo/nocebo effect’). Because beliefs change in order to accommodate choice of therapies, and because the perceived effect of therapies often influences belief, ‘markets’ for belief and healing are closely related.  But not all ‘healing’ in this market produces health.  Healing also offers ‘protection’ from other people, from other healers and from other therapies and their effects or side effects.  Since few therapies in this market produce reliable results, belief permits clients to evaluate moral states of being rather than mere evidence of efficacy as they search for healing.  Belief in the therapy allows clients to evaluate their choices and participate in healing with a greater sense of certainty.  In short, what a person believes is believed to influence how and whether he/she can be healed, and to what extent the therapy has been effective.

Este artigo reflete sobre o acolhimento e a produção de cuidado destinados à população em situação de rua numa perspectiva socioantropológica, a partir de uma observação participante realizada junto a uma equipe de Consultório na Rua. Observou-se que essa população, historicamente visibilizada como marginal, dificilmente consegue acessar os serviços de saúde, tornando-se invisível ao próprio Sistema Único de Saúde. Embora a Política Nacional para a População em Situação de Rua pretenda assegurar acesso à saúde, o cuidado, no entanto, nem sempre é garantido porque serviços e profissionais de saúde têm pouca experiência para acolher pessoas em situação de rua e atender as suas necessidades. Conclui-se que o desafio é hipervisibilizar as linhas de cuidado para situações impostas pela vida na rua e a construção de vínculo terapêutico desconstrutor da prática estigmatizante.

Aim-To determine the gender using mental foramen as landmark on a panoramic radiographs in selected North Gujarat population. Objective-1. To evaluate and compare the superior border of mental foramen to lower border of mandible(S-L) and inferior border of mental foramen to lower border of mandible(I-L) value in males and females bilaterally. 2. To compare the S-L and I-L between right and left side in males and female 3. To utilize above measurements for gender determination. Materials and Method-Sixty panoramic radiographs were selected for the analysis of mental foramen. Tangents were drawn through the superior and inferior borders of the foramen (S-L and I-L respectively) and perpendicular from the tangents to the lower border of the mandible bilaterally. Digital verniar caliper was used for the distance measurement from S-L and I-L. The data obtained was tabulated and subjected to statistical analysis. Result-The analyzed data of study showed that the mean values of comparison of S-L as well as I-L in males and females were significantly higher in males as compared to females. The comparison of SL and IL on right and left side in the same patient was without any significant difference. Conclusion-The results of present study concluded a definite sexual dimorphism in the position of the mental foramen from the base of the mandible; this method can applied in mass disaster where the fragments of mandible are available.

This article has two objectives: the first, to analyze the professionalization process of assisted reproduction (AR) in order to see how AR is consolidating into an independent field within medicine, and the second, to see how AR arrived and was assimilated into Mexican culture. As opposed to other projects that have traced back the story of a particular specialty to see how it emerged as such, this article looks at an ongoing process: specialization in action. By analyzing the data collected through three years of multisited ethnography using tools offered by the sociology of professions and the history of medical specialization, I identify specific moments in which AR is gaining cognitive, normative, and evaluative consolidation, structure, and independence. This leads me to suggest that AR might separate from gynecology and become an independent specialty within medicine. I offer examples to support this argument and show how AR has developed into a biomedical service, a professional biomedical field, and a biomedical business.

Historically, medical sociologists have used the interrelated concepts of objectification, commodification, and standardization to point to the pathologies of modern medicine, such as the depersonalization of care and the effects of bureaucratic control. More recent work in science studies, economic sociology, and sociology of health and illness, however, has begun to explore how the social processes of objectification, commodification, and standardization produce a wide variety of biomedical achievements. We provide a theoretical synthesis of this emerging body of scholarship centered upon the intended and unintended consequences of objectification, commodification, and standardization to improve health. We then outline a research agenda that would result from a more comprehensive assessment of how these processes manifest themselves in clinical care.

The term "evidence-based medicine" (or EBM) was introduced about ten years ago, and there has been considerable debate about the value of EBM. However, this debate has sometimes been obscured by a lack of conceptual clarity concerning the nature and status of EBM. First, we note that EBM proponents have obscured the current debate by defining EBM in an overly broad, indeed almost vacuous, manner; we offer a clearer account of EBM and its relation to the alternative approaches to medicine. Second, while EBM proponents commonly cite the philosophical work of Thomas Kuhn and claim that EBM is a Kuhnian 'paradigm shift,' we argue that such claims are seriously mistaken and unduly polarize the EBM debate. Third, we suggest that it is much more fruitful to understand the relationship between EBM and its alternatives in light of a different philosophical metaphor: W.V. Quine's metaphor of the web of belief. Seen in this way, we argue that EBM is an approach to medical...

Past research yields mixed evidence regarding whether ethnoracial minorities trust physicians less than Whites. Using the 2002 and 2006 General Social Surveys, variegated ethnoracial differences in trust in physicians are identified by disaggregating a multidimensional physician trust scale. Compared to Whites, Blacks are less likely to trust the technical judgment and interpersonal competence of doctors. Latinos are less likely than Whites to trust the fiduciary ethic, technical judgment, and interpersonal competence of doctors. Black-Latino differences in physician trust are a function of ethnoracial differences in parental nativity. The ways ethnoracial hierarchies are inscribed into power-imbalanced clinical exchanges are discussed.

Mammograms are known to cause breast cancer. Wearing tight bras for long hours daily is also known to cause breast cancer. Tight bras also worsen the damage caused by radiation from mammograms. Women are advised to not use bras,  and to avoid mammograms, if possible.