Advantages Of Dualism In The Sociology Of Medicine

With the expansion of the sociology of medicine, it has become increasingly important to consider its theories in terms of their effectiveness in application. While there is a range of concepts to evaluate, the focus here is specifically on the strengths and limitations of dualism and medicalization, as they represent significant aspects of both the medical model and its spread in contemporary society. To begin, the principle of dualism and the binaries it creates and central to the philosophical basis of the medical model. Although there are varying definitions according to the particular discipline, in a sociological sense it may be understood as ‘any doctrine in which the fundamental form of things, reality, etc. are seen as of two contrasting types, without any possibility of one being reduced to the other’ (Jary and Jary 2005: 168). In the sociology of health and medicine, the theory of dualism is used critically to highlight the construction of binaries in the medical model, which are then both socially and institutionally reinforced. For instance, one of the most significant binaries in the medical model is that of mind-body dualism, or the separation of the immaterial mind from the body, which is viewed as essentially

In terms of practical use, medicalization is more easily applied than dualism, particularly for quantitative research and to a greater number of topics including not only inequalities, but also the background for changing conceptions of mental illness, sexuality and gender identity, or in relation to the contrasting but related process of healthization. Still, both theories remain highly useful in constructing theoretical explanations for changes in medicine, health, and illness, and should be considered tools with significant practical application central to the sociology of