Film Review of Generation RX

What is the main thesis of this film?
      Drug companies are producing medicine which does not help. Pharmaceutical companies persuade physicians to prescribe drugs which increase   sickness or cause suicide to people. They subscribe drugs such as Prozac, Ritalin and other in order to combat ADHD.

What were the main arguments in support of the thesis?
The people or “Generation Rx” was arguing that there is no autism, but the government claim that it exists.  People are claiming that the government with pharmaceutical companies is the one who are obtaining huge profits for producing and selling drugs that that are not treating or curing diseases at all. Another argument is that doctors are part of the problem simply because their aim is to be rich and not to treat sickness. The Generation RX is claiming that drugs like Ritalin and Prozac have effects on not only on children, but adults and that government must act soon.

How does the thesis of this film relate to the course?

Thesis related to the course because the problem is about social construction. When a person is labeled as autistic in the community, it then became his/her master status in the society. As a result, that person will have hard time to isolate themselves from the situation.  The example of this was the young gentleman name Samuel who had a speech problem and trouble finding friends. Another clear example of this is on chapter 21 of Reading in Deviant Behavior. The author had explained how people tell who is normal or not normal.

Furthermore, illnesses or disorders sometimes are socially constructed by the doctors using some scientific or medical terms which are hard to explain.  During the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) meeting, psychiatrists and physicians were questioned about the symptoms of ADHD, but they did not answer right.  To me, it was not very convincing ideas.  However, many scholars have proven that this is wrong.  Hope you will enjoy the following video of an animated video of an an arguments.

RSA Animation: Changing Education Paradigms".

The social construction related to Generation Rx is in (Reading in Deviant Behavior 2010) chapter 22 by Conrad and Potter in their article, “The Emergence of Hyperactive Adults as Abnormal”. These authors are saying that medical labels are socially constructed.  They continues to describing how medical category can expand including a wider range of trouble within the definition of ADHD and how whole social process of a labeling, have effect on people.

Which arguments/points did you find the most convincing?
Most part of the argument of the film was convincing.  I was also convincing that drugs are one causing suicide and depression among people especially the children. I find it convincing that making huge among of money can cause death of people. I think the problem is very clear simply because physicians and psychiatrists need to make more money and do not care about the lives of people. Why can the Federal Drug Administration, FDA do anything about the problem?

   Which arguments/points did you find the  not /least convincing?

 There was no proving of what cause suicide to most people was only medicine. I can also criticize Generation Rx in two ways.  I think people who were claiming the death of their love one were constructing social problem. I May have mixed opinion on the issue because this is how social constructions are made by people in other ways. There was nothing that proved it that people die because of after taking medicine. I did not see a doctor on the film being put into jail or prison because of the prescription of the medicine that kill a person. I think it was just the construction of the social problem.  
Choose one argument, point or question that most stands out for you. How would you study this point? Briefly design a research study around that point.
A Thousandth of adults and children dying and showing signs of depression committing suicide was so sad.  Because of that I would design my research to prove the lie from the FDA and physicians since they are denying effect that the drugs ADHD have effects.  I would first conduct experimental studies of adults with ADHD.  First of all, I would find adult who are under treatments and on medication for these disorders.  Secondly, I‘d then continue the study into a longitudinal one. Finally, find some clues whether their disorder has improved or not.  
  Word count 790

Work cited

Addrain, Conyers, Thio, Alex, Thomas C and Calhoun, 2010.  Readings in Deviant Behavior.  6th ed. Boston, MA: Allyn & Ba. 1975
Peter Conrad and Deborah potter, 1990 “From the Hyperactive Children to ADHD Adults:  Observations on the Expansion of Medical Categories