Fall 2021  |  SOC 3243W Section 001: On Drugs: Pleasures, Panics & Punishments (34915)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
Student Option
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
In Person Term Based
Class Attributes:
UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
09/07/2021 - 12/15/2021
Mon, Wed 11:15AM - 12:30PM
UMTC, West Bank
Blegen Hall 415
Enrollment Status:
Closed (45 of 45 seats filled)
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
In this course we are going to study and reflect on the immense popularity of mood-enhancing drugs, legal and illegal, around the world today. Why do we want to modify our moods, and how do we set about it? Why do some people throw themselves into drug use while others fearfully avoid it? And why do many more of us feel worried about "addiction" to shopping, sex, or gambling? Together we will build a comparative analysis of drug cultures and practices - understanding the place of "journey" and "possession" inebriation across time, and how the temporal and ritual boundaries delimiting substance use get broken down by the mass commoditization of alcohol and other drugs by 19th century capitalism. From there we trace the amazingly confused development of addiction and changing forms of intervention, from alarmist educational campaigns and the militarized maneuvers of the drug war to the drug court movement, and from the twelve-step cure to alternative harm reduction approaches. This class will offer you a mixture of accessible and detailed material, together with some theoretical work which will help you grasp the subject on a deeper level. As a writing intensive class you will develop a three-stage paper with feedback at each stage, producing a strong writing sample. Pre-req: Soc 1001 recommended; Soc majors/minors must register A-F.
Class Notes:
Click this link for more detailed course information: http://classinfo.umn.edu/?tgowan+SOC3243W+Fall2021
Class Description:
In this course we examine the immense popularity of mood-enhancing drugs, legal and illegal, around the world today. Why do we want to modify our moods, and how do we set about it? Why do some people throw themselves into drug use while others fearfully avoid it? Why do states and medical authorities promote some mood-changing drugs while waging wars against other, often very similar drugs? Together we will build a comparative analysis of drug cultures and drug regulation. We will start by exploring forms of "journey" and "possession" inebriation across time, learning about how earlier temporal and ritual boundaries limiting substance use get broken down by the modern capitalist commodification of alcohol, tobacco, opium, cocaine, and more. From there we trace how substances shift back and forward between legal, illicit and pharmaceutical statuses, as governments swing between militarized drug wars and more therapeutic controls such as contemporary drug courts and coerced treatment. Throughout the class we will explore the changing meanings of addiction, comparing the twelve-step movement to alternative approaches such as harm reduction. This class will offer you a mixture of accessible and detailed material, together with some theoretical work which will help you grasp the subject on a deeper level.
Who Should Take This Class?:
Take this class if you are interested in drug cultures and addiction, and wanting to move beyond simplistic judgments about "good" vs "bad" drug use!
Learning Objectives:
This class should help you "understand diverse philosophies and cultures within and across societies" (UMN SLO) It should also substantially improve your confidence and skill in qualitative research and writing. Students are expected to complete a research paper that is from 2000 to 2500 words in length, including references. You will use the class qualitative research project to identify a substantive topic or theoretical issue which the interviews illuminate, review important research on that topic, synthesize results, and present an engaging thesis.

NOTE: Students can sign up to make this class satisfy the senior project requirement (instead of taking the capstone class). A senior thesis version of the paper will require a more substantial literature review, addressing their theme across all the class project data, and a paper of 3500 to 4000 words in length, including refs.)
Grading:
The final grade will be weighted
in the following way: 30% term paper (10% for the first draft, 20% for final draft), 30% for moderator posts, 30% for class project participation (15% for interview transcript and profile, 15% for coding and presentations), 10% class and Canvas citizenship.
Class Format:
Short lectures and plenty of discussion, both in small groups and full class.
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/34915/1219
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
8 April 2021

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