Paramedicine and Medicalization of Natural Processes

Healthcare Questions Question 1: Paramedicine and Medicalization of Natural Processes Medicalization is the process of making a process which is usually a normal condition in human beings to become a medical condition. This process is founded on the biomedical mechanisms of disease whereby paramedics see behaviors and conditions as arising from the malfunctioning of the body. Medicalization is widespread in the society and has led to alteration of understanding of normal conditions to incorporation of biomedicine as a result of labeling them as illnesses, diseases or disorders. Labeling of normal women experiences as medical problems causes stigmatization to the individuals who have to carry those labels in their life.

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Expectant mothers are advised to seek medical attention from physicians many times as a routine prenatal care where they are subjected to investigative procedures such as blood tests and ultrasound. Women are also encouraged to consult health care providers when they are planning to have a baby. Paramedical practices have also led to medicalization of menstruation, premenstrual syndrome and menopause. Paramedics have pathologized menopause and they consider it as an “estrogen deficiency disease due to ovarian failure and may be treated with hormone replacement therapy” (Conrad, 2007, p 123). Paramedics have therefore created a perception that the natural female body needs regulation through medical interventions in order to normalize it, leading to stigmatization.

Question 2: Disability as a Gendered Experience Gender relates to sex of an individual. In the society, gender correlates to cultural interpretation of sex of a person as a function of the societal roles and norms. The society designates power relations across the gender lines, with males being more powerful than females. Disabilities are social relations that hinder a person’s daily activities. The gendered experience of disability portrays perpetuated pattern of difference between men and women (Barnes & Mercer, 2005). Disability is more pronounced in the females hence gaining a feministic view. Across the population, more women than men are grouped as disabled. The number of disabled women living under poverty is higher than the number of men, while younger disabled females are likely to achieve lower education levels than males. In the workforce, women having disability are often underpaid than men with disabilities. Disabled women are more prone to domestic violence, sexual abuse, and are more likely to face medical interventions aimed at controlling their fertility. Women therefore experience many psychological and social problems such as depression, stress, poor self image, and social neglect.

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Pre-hospital management of people with disability involves providing support to those affected to help them survive their conditions (Smith & Hutchison, 2004).

Question 3: Ageist Attitudes in Queensland “Ageism is the stereotyping and discrimination of individuals because of their advanced age” (Hughes & Heycox, 2010, p.116). These aged individuals are perceived as rigid in thought, old fashioned and senile. Most often, ageism leads to elder abuse and neglect. Older people are not treated fairly across all fields including health care sector. Older people in Queensland are marginalized, institutionalized and denied responsibilities and dignity. The society regards old people as burdens and associates them with negative attributes hence they are treated as second class citizens. Ageist beliefs classify old people as a homogenous group without considering their varied individual needs. Ageist attitudes affect these old people as they tend to internalize these beliefs. This has a consequence of poor health results and decreased financial freedom.

The most common attitudes existing in Queensland about old people stems from the held believes that older people have hearing problems. As such, younger individuals tend to baby talk and over accommodate them. Ageism attitudes include labeling and prejudice. The prejudice is manifested at personal level personal and institutional level. Examples of ageist approaches are use of patronizing terms, speaking slowly, and use of derogatory words. Paramedics and ambulatory services perceive the aged as disasters in waiting since they present with complex cases that demand a lot of time and resources. This perpetuates the ageist attitudes. Use of labels, gentle words and words aimed at creating humor towards the elderly reflects the low value accorded to them and thus reinforces ageist attitudes (MaCarthy, 2001).

Question 4: Sociological Perspective of Dying and Death in Australia

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Australia is a society made up of many cultures. In Australia, death is “deeply personal and dealt with according to family and community mores” (Bronfen & Goodwin, 1993, p. 220).

Individuals have their own perceptions about death and attitudes towards it. The attitudes towards death and dying are based on diverse factors such as cultural view of illness, religious and spiritual beliefs of families and communities. With modern medical advances, most Australians are treated in hospitals; hence few people have direct experience of caring for the dying people. Employment patterns have changed community organization, hence social isolation is rampant. This has caused separation of people from their families while decreasing social networking. The individuals have become increasingly aware that they are health consumers while families play active roles in making health decisions. All these influences impact on perceptions about death and dying. Death event is associated with various stages like bereavement, grief, loss, mourning, and preparation and disposal of the diseased and the accompanying rituals (Auger, 2000).

References Auger, J. A. (2000). Social perspectives on death and dying. Nova Scotia: Fernwood Publishing.

Barnes, C. & Mercer, G. (2005). Disability, work, and welfare challenging the social exclusion of disabled people. Work, Employment & Society, 19(3), 527-545.

Bronfen, E. & Goodwin, S. W. (1993). Death and representation. Baltimore, MD: JHU Press.

Conrad, P. (2007). The medicalization of society: On the Transformation of Human Conditions into Treatable Disorders. Baltimore, MD: JHU Press.

Hughes, M. & Heycox, K. (2010). Older people, ageing and social work: Knowledge for practice. Crow’s Nest: Allen & Unwin.

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McCarthy, P. (2001). Bullying: from backyard to boardroom, 2nd edition. Annandale: Federation Press.

Smith, G., B. & Hutchison, B. (2004). Gendering disability. Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers University Press.

Teijlingen, V. E., Lowis, W. G. & McCaffery, P. (2004). Midwifery and the medicalization of childbirth: Comparative perspectives. Hauppauge, NY: Nova Publishers.