Graduate Program
Academic Calendar for 2008
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  GP012 - Perspectives in Drug Use
CREDIT POINTS:
15
PREREQUISITES:
None
COST:
$1000
DATES:

Wednesday Evenings
5:30pm - 8:00 pm
5 March - 28 May 2008
This subject is also available in online mode
SUBJECT COORDINATOR:
Caroline Clark
CENSUS DATE:
4 April 2008

SUBJECT/UNIT SUMMARY:
This subject is one of two fundamental subjects and a prerequisite for further studies. It will explore historical and contemporary aspects of drug use in Australia and internationally.

Students will gain an understanding of the social and political role that drugs have played in the past and present, on both the individual and social level. The subject will introduce students to history of drug use in various cultures of the world and the effects of geopolitical influences such as colonialism and globalisation on drug use internationally. It will investigate the socio-political structuring of drug use in western cultures, and policy and treatment responses. It will also examine variations in patterns and types of drug use (including changing availability of drugs over time); and variations in framing the drug use experience, along with social and policy responses, according to race, class and gender.

Students will examine various models of dependence and the concept and practice of harm minimisation. They will also learn how to access information about patterns and prevalence of drug use and associated harms.

SUBJECT/UNIT OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this subject students should be able to:

  1. Discuss historical and cultural variations in drug use, and social sanctions on use
  2. Describe and analyse some of the patterns, prevalence and associated harms, of drug use
  3. Describe and analyse the broad social, political and economic factors that affects patterns of drug use
  4. Appraise various AOD policies and programs according to stated aims and harm minimisation principles
  5. Describe and analyse models of dependence and their relation to the development of policy and clinical responses to AOD use

ASSESSMENT:

  1. Class presentation with written submission OR journal review (equivalent 1,000 words) (30%)
  2. Essay (3,000 words) (70%)