A genealogical critique of medicalization: from Conrad back to Foucault

Abstract: Foucault’s genealogy is widely applied in discussions of medicalization. Critics such as Conrad have adopted Foucault’s power-knowledge analysis as a crucial tool for critiquing it. However, these critiques often tend to view medicalization excessively as a negative phenomenon and frequently propose demedicalization strategies from the perspective of social governance, which leads to the neglect of individual agency. In this regard, Foucault’s genealogy can offer alternative insights. His emphasis on the productivity of power enables a better understanding of the positive aspects of medicalization, while his discussions on governance and technologies of the self highlight the role of self-governance. This paper argues that by returning to Foucault’s genealogical analysis, we can not only develop more diverse perspectives on social medicalization but also derive insights for self-governance within current demedicalization strategies.