Medicalization: Current Concept and Future Directions in a Bionic Society

none1noThe article illustrates the main features of the concept of medicalization, starting from its theoretical roots. Although it is the process of extending the medical gaze on human conditions, it appears that medicalization cannot be strictly connected to medical imperialism anymore. Other “engines” of medicalization are influential: consumers, biotechnology and managed care. The growth of research and theoretical reflections on medicalization has led to the proposal of other parallel concepts like pharmaceuticalization, genetization and biomedicalization. These new theoretical tools could be useful in the analysis of human enhancement. Human enhancement can be considered as the use of biomedical technology to improve performance on a human being who is not in need of a cure: a practice that is increasingly spreading in what might be defined as a “bionic society”.The journal is indexed with Abstracts on Pub Med, Hygiene and Communicable Diseases, CAB Abstracts, Caspur, DOAJ, EBSCO Publishing's Electronic Databases, Expanded Academic ASAP, Genamics JournalSeek, Global Health, Google Scholar, Health & Wellness Research Center, Health Reference Center Academic, Hinari, Index Copernicus, Indian Science Abstracts, IndMed, OpenJGate, PrimoCentral, ProQuest, PubMed, Pubmed Central, Scimago Journal Ranking, SCOLOAR, SCOPUS, SIIC databases, SNEMB, Summon by Serial Solutions, Ulrich's International Periodical Directory Il mio articolo è passato attraverso referees 6 volte (come scritto nell'articolo stesso, prima notà a piè di pag.). Come si evince dalla nota a pag. 122, l’articolo ha superato numerosi referaggi: Received 14 Dec 2011. Revised 18, 20, 21, 28, 30 Dec 2011. Accepted 31 Dec 2011. Further revised 31 Dec 2011. Final acceptance 1 Jan 2012.mixedA. MaturoA. Matur