Final answer:
According to Singer and Baer, "social stigma" is linked to medicalization as it transforms behaviors considered as deviant into medical issues, leading to discrimination and substandard care for individuals with certain conditions. Societal perceptions and responsibilities around these illnesses are altered, contributing to the stigmatization of patients.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Singer and Baer, "social stigma" is sometimes linked to the medicalization of sickness. This is because the medicalization process redefines behaviors previously considered deviant or bad as medical issues, necessitating medical intervention. This has implications for how society views individuals with certain conditions, often resulting in stigma. As sociologists and researchers like Goffman and Sartorius have noted, individuals with stigmatized illnesses can be discriminated against, leading to substandard care or reluctance to seek help, which can exacerbate their conditions.
Medicalization may also alter perceptions of personal responsibility for illness and affect how patients are treated within healthcare and societal contexts. Consequences of medicalization include changes in how patients are responded to, who responds to them, and can lead to societal stigmatization based on their condition. Stigmatization is especially prevalent in conditions such as mental disorders, AIDS, and other illnesses that carry social prejudices.
Furthermore, the societal view of certain illnesses, such as alcoholism, has shifted from moral judgment to medical understanding, illustrating the dynamic nature of medicalization. However, this can also lead to stigmatization of illness, where the identities of individuals are overshadowed by their illnesses, reinforcing discrimination and inequality.