In the sociology of health and medicine, scientific (modern Western) medicine typically develops and becomes dominant in what type of society?

Introduction / Context:
The sociology of health and medicine examines how different societies organise health care and understand illness. One key distinction is between traditional or folk medicine and scientific, modern Western medicine, which is based on systematic research, controlled experiments, and evidence-based practices. Scientific medicine did not arise in all societies at the same time or in the same way. This question asks in what type of society scientific medicine typically develops and becomes dominant, drawing on sociological concepts related to modernisation and industrialisation.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Scientific medicine relies on formal scientific institutions, research laboratories, and hospitals.
• Industrialisation and technological development support the growth of universities, medical schools, and pharmaceutical industries.
• Traditional and folk medicine are more common in small-scale, non-industrial societies.
• The options contrast industrialised societies with small-scale or traditional communities.

Concept / Approach:
Scientific medicine, often called biomedicine, depends on systematic observation, experimentation, and the application of scientific reasoning to health problems. This requires a certain level of economic development, institutional support, and technological infrastructure. Industrialised societies usually have large hospitals, research laboratories, medical schools, and regulatory frameworks for drugs and treatments. They also support disciplines such as microbiology, biochemistry, and epidemiology, which underpin modern treatment and prevention strategies. In contrast, hunter-gatherer, isolated rural, or nomadic societies tend to rely more heavily on traditional healing practices passed down through culture, with limited formal scientific research. Therefore, scientific medicine typically develops and becomes dominant in highly industrialised and technologically advanced societies.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the key requirement of scientific medicine: it needs formal science—laboratories, universities, and research institutions. Step 2: Recognise that such institutions generally flourish in industrialised societies with strong economic and technological bases. Step 3: Consider that hunter-gatherer groups and nomadic communities usually lack large, permanent institutions needed for biomedical research. Step 4: Note that isolated rural villages relying solely on traditional healers represent folk or traditional medicine, not fully developed scientific medicine. Step 5: Conclude that highly industrialised and technologically advanced societies are where scientific medicine typically develops and becomes the dominant form of health care.

Verification / Alternative check:
Historical examples support this reasoning. Modern scientific medicine rose to prominence in Western Europe and North America during and after the Industrial Revolution, as cities grew, universities expanded, and scientific research became institutionalised. Later, other industrialising countries adopted similar systems with medical schools, licensing systems, and hospital networks. Sociology textbooks frequently link the rise of scientific medicine to processes of modernisation, bureaucratisation, and industrialisation. Traditional societies are often discussed as contexts where folk medicine remains central, sometimes in combination with imported biomedical practices. This pattern confirms that the correct setting for the development of scientific medicine is the industrialised, technologically advanced society.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Small-scale hunter-gatherer societies with minimal technology rely mainly on traditional knowledge, shamans, or healers, not on large-scale scientific institutions.
Isolated rural villages that rely only on folk remedies and traditional healers illustrate traditional medicine rather than fully developed scientific medicine.
Nomadic pastoral communities with no written scientific tradition generally lack the fixed infrastructure required for laboratories and medical schools, so scientific medicine cannot easily develop there.

Common Pitfalls:
Some students may confuse “effective” with “scientific” and think that any effective healing practice must be scientific medicine. However, many traditional practices can be effective without being grounded in formal scientific research. Another mistake is to assume that scientific medicine is equally developed everywhere, ignoring the social and economic conditions that support it. Remember that scientific medicine is a specific system linked to modern institutions and technologies, which are characteristic of industrialised societies. Keeping this connection in mind will help you choose the correct answer in sociological questions about health systems.

Final Answer:
Scientific medicine typically develops and becomes dominant in Highly industrialised and technologically advanced societies with formal scientific research.