Which term refers to the transformation of 'badness' into 'sickness' in social perception?

• A. Medicalization
• B. Pacification
• C. Criminalization
• D. Normalization

Answer: (A)

Medicalization is the process by which social or moral problems are reframed as medical conditions. When a behavior or condition we once saw as a moral failing or social deviation is described as sickness, the issue is interpreted through a medical lens—blaming biology or pathology rather than character or personal responsibility. This shift changes how problems are understood, who is blamed, and how they are treated, often leading to clinical interventions, professional expertise, and sometimes pharmaceutical solutions. In this sense, the transformation of “badness” into “sickness” in social perception exemplifies medicalization. The other terms don’t capture this framing: pacification is about reducing conflict, criminalization is about making behavior illegal, and normalization is about making something seem ordinary or typical, not about recasting it as a disease.