Medicine
The Medicalization of Deviance and Social Control
Quick fact
The number of mental health diagnoses has exploded in the last century, and what was once considered bad behavior—like heavy drinking, gambling, or even shyness—is now often a medical condition. For example, 'social anxiety disorder' is now a common diagnosis, but the same symptoms might have been seen as simple shyness a few decades ago.
Why this is interesting
You've probably heard someone say 'That's just the way I'm wired' or 'It's a chemical imbalance.' But what if your brain wasn't 'wired' differently, but simply acting out against the rules of society? What if calling it a disease wasn't helping, but controlling?