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SP30289: Drug and alcohol use and 'misuse': historical perspectives, key debates and policy responses

Follow this link for further information on academic years Academic Year: 2015/6
Further information on owning departmentsOwning Department/School: Department of Social & Policy Sciences
Further information on credits Credits: 6
Further information on unit levels Level: Honours (FHEQ level 6)
Further information on teaching periods Period: Semester 1
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Summary: EX 65%, OT 35%
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Detail:
  • 35% Group Report (OT 35%)
  • 65% Exam (EX 65%)
Further information on supplementary assessment Supplementary Assessment: Coursework reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Further information on requisites Requisites:
Further information on descriptions Description: Aims:

* To examine drug and alcohol use, and policy uses from a critical criminological, cultural and human rights perspective
* To identify theoretical debates on drug cultures and subcultures, drug use, freedom of choice, social harm and normalisation
* To explore questions of identity, consumption, risk, and the relationship between social, cultural and economic factors that influence substance use and drug and alcohol dependency.

Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this unit students will:
* Have an understanding of the origins and history of drug policy
* Identify theoretical debates in relation to drug and alcohol use and dependency
* Be able to critique political and global responses and debates shaping the governance of drug use
* Have an awareness of the international drug trade and law enforcement context.

Skills:
Intellectual Skills
At the end of this unit students should be able to:
* Understand and critically evaluate the historical and cross cultural use of drugs in a range of social contexts.
* Describe and evaluate policy and practice from a range of perspectives.
* Interpret drug use and policy responses within criminological, socio-cultural and human rights frameworks.
* Demonstrate an awareness of the assumptions underpinning discourses on drug and alcohol policies and the implications for the ongoing development of policy and practice.
* Understand the complex factors shaping the governance of use, the international drug trade, the growing market in `legal highs¿ and law enforcement.
* Understand the ways in which drug control, treatment, punishment and regulation is conducted along racialised, gendered and class specific lines.
* Debate alternatives to drug prohibition and the future of drug policy.
Transferable/Key

Skills:

* To think critically and analytically.
* To describe, evaluate, compare and contrast key arguments and debates.
* To evaluate existing research.
* To critically evaluate and assess policy, health information and a range of qualitative and quantitative evidence.
* To gather information, data, research and literature from a number of different sources.
* To synthesise information from a number of sources in order to gain a coherent understanding and develop a clear argument.
* Essay research, policy evaluation, assignment preparation and writing skills
* Understanding how to apply knowledge and concepts from across various social, political and medical sciences disciplines
* Study and Learning skills (note taking, avoiding plagiarism, using the library, gathering and using information, constructing a bibliography, referencing) Content:Lecture 1: Harm, Health and the Social Functions of drug and Alcohol Use.
Lecture 2: Drugs, Cultures and Subcultures
Lecture 3: The History of Prohibition and the De-criminalisation Debate
Lecture 4: Drugs, Alcohol Crime and Criminal Justice Responses.
Lecture 5: Global Drug Crime and Trafficking and the Global Politics of the Drug Trade.
Lecture 6: Short Assessment briefing, Independent Study and Assessment week- 1500 Word Group Report Preparation
Lecture 7: The Representation of Drug and Alcohol Use and Media Policy
Lecture 8: A Critical Overview of Drug and Alcohol Treatment, Harm Reduction and Abstinence Based Programmes. This
Lecture will include a panel discussion with drug workers and ex addicts.
Lecture 9 : Drugs, Social Divisions and the CJS
Lecture 10: Efficacy, Enforcement: Policing, Punishment and Drug Seizures
Lecture 11: Review of course material, poster session, Class Debate and assessment support for final exam.
Further information on programme availabilityProgramme availability:

SP30289 is a Generally Available Unit which is available to all students of the University (subject to the usual constraints) to take either as a Director of Studies approved option within their programme of study or as an 'extra' unit which does not count towards a final award.


SP30289 is Optional on the following programmes:

Department of Social & Policy Sciences
  • UHSP-AFB16 : BSc(Hons) Social Policy (Year 3)
  • UHSP-AKB16 : BSc(Hons) Social Policy with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UHSP-AFB05 : BSc(Hons) Social Sciences (Year 3)
  • UHSP-AKB05 : BSc(Hons) Social Sciences with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UHSP-AFB04 : BSc(Hons) Sociology (Year 3)
  • UHSP-AKB04 : BSc(Hons) Sociology with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UHSP-AFB10 : BSc(Hons) Sociology and Social Policy (Year 3)
  • UHSP-AKB10 : BSc(Hons) Sociology and Social Policy with Year long work placement (Year 4)

Notes:
* This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2015/16 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2016/17 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2015/16.
* Programmes and units are subject to change at any time, in accordance with normal University procedures.
* Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.