College of Social Sciences and International Studies
Addiction
Module SOC3033 for 2018/9
Module SOC3033 for 2018/9
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
SOC3033: Addiction
This module descriptor refers to the 2018/9 academic year.
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following themes:
Outline of topics to be covered
- Introduction to addiction
- Biological and psychological models of addiction
- Social constructionist approaches and addiction as ‘myth’
- The social science of drug use I: Cannabis
- The social science of drug use II: Opiates/heroin
- Alcohol abuse
- Smoking
- Lifestyle addictions (e.g. sex, gambling, internet use, food, exercise)
- Treatment and counselling
- Addiction policy: Harm reduction
- Addiction policy: Legalization
Example seminar debates
- Definitions: Is sex addiction really an ‘addiction’?
- Models: Is addiction a matter of ‘choice’ or ‘heredity’?
- What are the problems of researching drug cultures?
- Treatment: Should addicts be given free needles or replacement substances (methadone)?
Policy: Would legalization of illegal drugs cut crime rates?
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
---|---|---|
22 | 128 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
Category | Hours of study time | Description |
---|---|---|
Scheduled learning activity | 11 | 11 x 1 hour lectures delivering the academic framework of the course |
Scheduled learning activity | 11 | 11 x 1 hour seminars including group work and class discussion of key topics and debates from the lectures |
Guided independent study | 40 | 20 course readings (2 hours each) |
Guided independent study | 40 | Reading/research for essay |
Guided independent study | 8 | Critique preparation |
Guided independent study | 40 | Reading/revisions for examination |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
Journals: Addiction, Addictive Behaviours, Journal of Addiction Medicine (JAMA), Sociology