Drugs & Society Lecture 1, Western University, Winter 2025, PDF

Drugs & Society WESTERN UNIVERSITY WINTER 2025 What is this course about? History of drug laws Theories on substance use Classification of substances How do sociologists look at substance use? Alexander, B. (2010). “Addiction1, A...

Drugs & Society WESTERN UNIVERSITY WINTER 2025 What is this course about? History of drug laws Theories on substance use Classification of substances How do sociologists look at substance use? Alexander, B. (2010). “Addiction1, Addiction2, Addiction3, Addiction4... Addiction1 Addiction4 Addiction2 Addiction3 Bruno & Csiernik. “The History and Politics of Canada’s Drug Laws” THE OPIUM ACT (1908) movement + nativist movement Hall. The future of the international drug control system and national drug prohibitions. unachievable leads to black markets, violent crime, high rates of incarceration, and poorer health prohibition might lead to increase in drug-related The future of international laws harm, but by how much is unclear on drug prohibition is uncertain legalization  Bruno & Csiernik. “Explaining Substance Use...” Biological Psychological Sociological Explanations Explanations Explanations Subcultural Behavioral Control Genetic Theories Theories Theories Theories Strain Theories Conflict Neurobiological Theories Theories Nature Theories Personality Psychopathology, Postmodern concurrent Theories disorders Theories Bruno & Csiernik. “Classifying Drugs: Psychopharmacological Properties and Legal Classifications” Opioids Depressants Stimulants Natural heroin Synthetic Alcohol Inhalants & Major Minor opium oxycodone Solvents methadone cocaine caffeine morphine OxyContin buprenor- amphetamines Barbiturates & nicotine codeine Semi- phine (includ. meth) synthetic fentanyl Benzodiazepines Cannabis Hallucinogens Psychotherapeutic agents Performance enhancing drugs Natural Synthetic amph.-based antipsychotics proteins peyote (mda, mdma, antidepressants anabolic androgenic steroids mescaline LSD pma, pmma) mood stabilizers human growth hormones psilocybin (magic Semi- anaesthetics mushrooms) synthetic (PCP, ketamine) Merton. Social structure and anomie. Lindesmith. A sociological theory of drug addiction. Withdrawal Associate them Addiction symptoms with a drug Leshner. Addiction is a brain disease, and it matters. Addiction is a chronic, relapsing brain disease similar to other chronic illnesses like diabetes and chronic hypertension. Hart. Viewing addiction as a brain disease promotes social injustice. Addiction is a chronic, relapsing brain disease similar to other chronic illnesses like diabetes and chronic hypertension. there are virtually no data indicating that addiction is a brain disease in the way that, for instance, Huntington’s or Parkinson’s are diseases of the brain. Neuroplasticity is a feature not a bug (addiction). Lewis. The biology of desire: Why addiction is not a disease. Addiction may be the uncanny result of a brain doing exactly what it’s supposed to do we program our brains through feedback loops Marshall. Canadian drug policy and the reproduction of Indigenous inequities enforcement Safe Streets and treatment Communities Act prevention Alexander. The new Jim Crow: Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness Systems of control and oppression incarceration & Jim Crow War on stripping of rights Chattel laws Drugs Slavery Preble & Casey. Taking care of business  Bourgois & Schonberg. Righteous dopefiend Patron-Client Relations in the Legal Economy Abusive bosses no jobs De Facto Apartheid in the Day Labor Market Panhandling lumpenized population Haenfler. Rethinking subcultural resistance: Core values of the straight edge movement. Evaluations Assessment % of the Final Grade Notes Due Midterm Exam 1 30 50 multiple choice questions, 1 hour January 28, in class Midterm Exam 2 30 50 multiple choice questions, 1 hour February 25, in class Final Exam 40 60 multiple choice questions, 1 hour TBA Thank You.