This paper, “Sociology of diagnosis: a preliminary review,” by Annemarie Jutel, argues for the establishment of a distinct sub-disciplinary field dedicated to the sociology of diagnosis. Diagnosis, as a core element of medical practice, is not merely a clinical tool but a powerful social construct with far-reaching impacts on individuals, medicine, and society.
Diagnosis is fundamentally defined as the classification tool of medicine. It encompasses both the pre-existing categories agreed upon by the medical profession to designate pathological conditions and the deliberate process or judgment by which these labels are applied. This “work” of diagnosis involves segmenting and ordering corporeal states, validating some while disregarding others, and exerting significant material force.
The significance of diagnosis extends deeply into the social fabric. It provides the essential framework within which medicine operates, highlighting the values medicine espouses, and reinforcing the authoritative roles of both the medical institution and the individual doctor. A diagnosis serves as a salient juncture connecting illness and disease, patient and doctor, and a complaint with its explanation. It plays a crucial administrative role by enabling access to various services and statuses, such as insurance reimbursement, restricted medication, sick leave, and support group membership. Furthermore, being diagnosed offers “permission to be ill” and “a claim for exemption,” shifting the individual from being blamed for deviance to being treated. Diagnosis also acts as a cultural mirror, reflecting what society deems normal and what it believes should be medically addressed, evident in historical examples like witchcraft or drapetomania, and contemporary ones like erectile dysfunction.
Despite its pervasive influence, the sociological study of diagnosis has historically been subsumed under broader rubrics like medicalization, the history of medicine, and disease theory, lacking its own clear identity or dedicated literature. This article serves as a crucial preliminary review, bringing together various threads from medical sociology that can contribute to this proposed sociology of diagnosis. It specifically focuses on the concept of categorization rather than the diagnostic process itself, exploring how diagnostic labels both establish and challenge medicine’s authority. By highlighting the unique features and profound impacts of diagnosis, Jutel encourages sociologists to give this pivotal concept the specific analysis it warrants.
Reference for the article:
Jutel, A. (2009). Sociology of diagnosis: a preliminary review. Sociology of Health & Illness, 31(2), 278–299. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9566.2008.01152.x
