Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey

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SOAN0319A-F17

Idea of Drugs and Addiction

The Idea of Drugs and Addiction
Drugs cause panic and social hysteria. We spend time talking about them and expend energy distinguishing between good and bad drugs and users. Movies, documentaries, literature, art, and television shows reflect this preoccupation with the use and misuse of drugs. In this course we will investigate the social significance of “drugs” as a cultural, rather than pharmacological, category. We will consider drugs and addiction as ideas that reflect concerns about the “self” in modernity. We will examine the panic surrounding drug use and addiction, our preoccupation with treatment, and our emphasis on sobriety. Overall, we will engage with the larger themes the idea of drugs and addiction raises: harm, exclusion, inequality, pleasure, freedom, desire, perfection, enlightenment, and control. 3hrs. lect./disc. (SOAN 0105 or SOAN 0288) (Sociology)
Course Reference Number (CRN):
91684
Subject Code:
SOAN
Course Number:
0319
Section Identifier:
A

Course

SOAN 0319

All Sections in Fall 2017

Fall 2017

SOAN0319A-F17 Lecture (Tiger)