Housing: A Case for the Medicalization of Poverty

8 Pages Posted: 5 Dec 2018

See all articles by B. Cameron Webb

B. Cameron Webb

University of Virginia - School of Medicine

Dayna Bowen Matthew

The George Washington University Law School

Date Written: November 29, 2018

Abstract

Historically, the term and concept of “medicalization” has been fraught. Here we ask whether the medicalization framework is a valuable construct or a wayward notion. To answer this question, we explore questions of how the concept does or does not improve patient care and well-being. We ask whether consideration of poverty can inform improved delivery models which might lead, in turn, to better population outcomes. We consider the prospects for the increased medicalization of poverty in three parts. First, we explore the evolution of the concept of medicalization and changing perceptions of its promise and peril. Next, we describe an alternate interpretation of the concept that applies it to non-biologic risk factors of disease — namely the social determinants of health — and consider its impact on patient care. Finally, we look specifically at the challenge to find affordable, decent housing as a specific feature of being poor or near-poor, to examine how medicalizing poverty can affect the navigation of illness for some of society’s most vulnerable individuals.

Keywords: Medicalization, housing, health, poverty, poor, social determinants

Suggested Citation

Webb, Bryant and Matthew, Dayna Bowen, Housing: A Case for the Medicalization of Poverty (November 29, 2018). Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics, Vol. 46, 2018, Virginia Public Law and Legal Theory Research Paper No. 2018-67, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3293163

Bryant Webb

University of Virginia - School of Medicine ( email )

United States

Dayna Bowen Matthew (Contact Author)

The George Washington University Law School ( email )

2000 H Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20052
United States

HOME PAGE: http://https://www.law.gwu.edu/dayna-bowen-matthew

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
93
Abstract Views
433
Rank
502,565
PlumX Metrics