SOC 204 - Drugs and Society

Credits: 5
LEC hours per week: 5
An introduction to psychoactive drugs and their use and abuse from a sociological perspective. This course addresses the social, biological and psychological factors associated with therapeutic use, recreational use, and abuse of drugs. This course provides an exploration of the impact of drugs on social institutions, including issues regarding regulation of drug use. Other topics include prevention and treatment.
Recommended: READ 088 or higher.
Course Outcomes:

Apply drug use terms correctly in class discussions and written assignments.
Categorize the different types of psychoactive drugs and describe their effects on the body.
Compare the roles of important neurotransmitters and identify key brain structures impacted by psychoactive drug use.
Summarize the history of drug use in the U.S., both legal and illicit, including current and past legislation.
Analyze the impact of drugs on social institutions through a sociological perspective.
Evaluate various biological, psychological and sociological theories about drug-using behavior.
Compare and contrast risk and protective factors regarding illicit drug use and analyze prevention program models.

Course Topics:

Specific drug-use terms
Prevalence of illicit drug use
Motivations for illicit drug use
Historical and current regulation of drugs
Categories of psychoactive drugs
Impact of psychoactive drugs on brain function
Pharmacology and physiology of drug use
Impact of drug use on social institutions
Substance use disorder diagnostic criteria
Components of treatment modalities
Drug education and prevention models
Risk and protective factors

Course Attribute(s): Social Science