drugs and society.
fall 2006.
Instructor:
Katy Sirles
Email:
katherine.sirles@colorado.edu
Office:
Ketchum 8
Office
Hours: Monday 2:00-4:00pm
Class
Hours: Monday, Wednesday 1:00-1:50pm
Classroom:
EKLC E1B20
Course
Website: Available through WebCT. Please note that you are required to sign in
to the WebCT page for this course at least once a week. I will post course
announcements and other useful information.
Feel free to contact me at any point during the semester. I am here to help! Please note that I do not check email in the evening or over the weekend. Also, please do not email me with questions regarding your grades. University policy prohibits talking about grades over email. Email is a public forum and your grades are private. As my department head warns, university email is public- you should never say anything over Colorado email that you would not like to see published in the newspaper. If you would like to discuss your grades, please make an appointment or visit me during office hours.
Faupel,
Charles E., Alan M. Horowitz, and
Greg S. Weaver, The Sociology of American Drug Use: McGraw Hill.
James A. Inciardi and Karen McElrath, The American Drug Scene (4th
ed.): Roxbury.
Jacob Sullum, Saying Yes: In Defense of Drug Use: Tarcher
Penguin.
Additional
readings will be available on WebCT or
handed out in class. You are responsible for obtaining these readings.
The ingestion of chemicals for purposes of altering consciousness has been practiced in virtually all human cultures and in all epochs of history. Sometimes this has resulted in problems, sometimes not, depending on how a society defines and deals with drug use and on how well it takes care of its citizens.
Contrary to current conventional wisdom, the mere use of drugs does not necessarily constitute drug “abuse,” nor is the mere existence of human suffering or social harm from such drug use always defined as a “drug problem.” The total social costs from the harm done by a single legal drug like alcohol or tobacco dwarf the total costs related to all illicit drugs combined. Yet, we tend to think of alcohol and tobacco use as “normal” (if unhealthy) and the use of other drugs as “deviant.” Historically, such definitions have never been based on “objective” evidence of risk or harm, but rather have been reflections of a society’s conflicts and expressions of a culture’s fears. Such conflicts and fears shape both the patterns and consequences of drug use and the society’s drug policy responses. In this course we will explore these definitional processes.
This course is not a “just say no” course, but neither is it a “how to” course. The first objective is to explore the social, cultural, political and economic processes that shape our understanding of and policies toward drugs. A second objective is to provide an historical and theoretical grasp of the social causes and consequences of the use and abuse of consciousness-altering substances. Third, the course attempts to stimulate critical thinking about policies that can reduce the harms associated with drug use and those associated with drug policy.
Course Meetings: Please arrive on time and do not leave early. This is disruptive and disrespectful to me as well as your fellow students. Also, please remember to leave your cell phones at home or turn them off before class begins. There is no need to email me if you are going to miss a class. I trust that you have good reason for not attending should you not be present during any given class meeting, but don’t make a habit of it.
Readings: You are required to complete all assigned readings before class meets. The schedule of readings will be handed out in class as well as posted on WebCT. I recognize that the reading load for this course is heavy, but it is not too much. I have followed general university guidelines for assigning a certain number of pages per week of reading for a course like this. This is college after all. Additional readings not found in the text can be found on WebCT or will be handed out in class.
Late Policy: I understand that students have busy lives outside of the classroom. This can sometimes interfere with schoolwork. If you need an extension on any course work, please email your T.A. no later than 5pm the day before the assignment is due. If the circumstances are reasonable, you will be allowed up to three days after the original due date to turn work in. You may only do this once during the semester and approval for this extension is required.
Exams: There will be three exams in this course: two midterms and a final. Dates for exams can be found on the course schedule. In-class exams will be multiple choice. ABSOLUTELY NO MAKE UP EXAMS WILL BE GIVEN. If you must miss an exam, please drop the class. The exams will cover each section of the course, the final will not be cumulative.
Course Assignments: There
are 5 assignments due in this course.
Descriptions of these assignments are available on WebCT. Due dates for
these assignments are on your course schedule.
You are responsible for obtaining the assignments and completing them on
time. Assignments are to be handed in during your recitation, to your T.A. Important:
These course assignments will make up your recitation grade. If you are not attending your recitation,
you will not receive credit for course assignments.
Extra Credit: There is one
extra credit opportunity in this class.
Information about extra credit will be posted on WebCT and talked about
further in class. The extra credit assignment is completely optional and must
be done on your own (no group work will be accepted unless you come up the with
group and you all propose an acceptable alternative. You must present to me
what you wish to do and have the idea approved). The extra credit is to be handed in to me. Extra credit is due no later
than December 13th, in class.
Attendance and Participation: You are required to attend and participate in
all classes. I will not formally take
attendance, but caution you that success in this class largely depends on your
consistent effort and presence. It is my goal to
create an environment where all members of the class feel comfortable sharing
their ideas and thoughts. In order for
this to be achieved it is crucial that all students behave in a respectful
manner towards one another. Insensitive
comments based on race, ethnicity, gender, class, sexual orientation, religion,
ideas or beliefs will absolutely not be tolerated.
Incompletes: I will not give any student an incomplete in this course unless the circumstances truly warrant it. I will be very strict with this course policy, please be prepared to argue a strong case if you wish to request an incomplete.
Students and faculty each have
responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment. Students who fail to adhere to behavioral
standards may be subject to discipline.
Graduate Instructors have the professional responsibility to treat students
with understanding, dignity and respect, to
guide classroom discussion and set reasonable limits on the manner in which
students express opinions.
All
students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing
and adhering to the academic integrity policy of this institution. Violations of this policy include (but are
not limited to): cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication,
lying, bribery, and threatening behavior.
All incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code
Council (honor@colorado.edu; 303-725-2273).
Students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity
policy will be subject to both academic sanctions from the instructor and
non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to university probation,
suspension, or expulsion).
The
University of Colorado Policy on Sexual Harassment applies to all students,
staff and faculty. Sexual harassment is
unwelcome sexual attention. It can
involve intimidation, threats, coercion, or promises that create an environment
that is hostile or offensive. Harassment
may occur between members of the same or opposite gender and between any
combination of members in the campus community: students, faculty, staff, and
administrators. Harassment can occur
anywhere on campus, including the classroom, the workplace, or a residence
hall. Any student, staff or faculty
member who believes s/he
has been sexually harassed should contact the Office of Sexual Harassment (OSH)
at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550.
Your final course grade will be determined by the following course requirements:
Final grades will be determined using the university’s standard percentage breakdown for letter grades. Please feel free to make an appointment with me at any point during the semester to discuss your grades.
Extra Credit: The extra credit assignment is completely
optional. Doing well on the assignment
can potentially raise your final letter grade in this class up one letter grade
notch. For example, if you are earning
an A- in the course and complete the extra credit well, you will get an A.