Drugs, Culture & Society
832:350:01
Livingston Campus
CDL 110
Monday 5:35-8:35 PM
Alexandra Lopez, MA, LCADC, SAC, DRCC, CPS
Email: alexopez@rci.rutgers.edu
Course Overview
This course is designed to explore a holistic approach to understanding the culture of
addiction and the use, abuse and misuse of substances. The course will examine historical,
societal, psychological, behavioral and familial perspectives of substance abuse. Students
will also explore the legal history of drug use and abuse. Topics of discussion will include
culture and chemical use, pharmacology of mood altering substances, historical and current
treatment options and the process of recovery. Classes will consist of a combination of
lecture, film, discussion and relevant readings.
Texts
Street Drugs: A Drug Identification Guide 2009 (Distributed in Class)
Sheff, N. (2008). Tweak: Growing up on methamphetamines. New York: Atheneum Books for
Young Readers.
Sheff, D. (2008). beautiful boy. A fathers journey through his sons addiction. New York:
Mariner Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Course Policies
 Confidentiality: Due to the focus of this course, students may share their personal
experiences. This information is private and should not be repeated outside of this class.
 Our academic environment is designed for learning, so remember to keep an open mind.
 Every assignment is due on the specified date listed in the syllabus. No late assignments
will be accepted unless approved by the instructor in advance of the deadline. Approved
late assignments will receive an automatic one half grade deduction.
 This class depends heavily on student interaction and group learning. Students are
expected to attend class regularly and participate actively. Attendance will be taken.
After one absence (excused or not), each successive missed class will result in 3% being
deducted from your final course grade.
 Students must comply with all university standards on academic conduct (see attached
Statement of Academic Integrity)
 Cell phones must be turned off during class.
 Laptops are permitted for taking notes and looking up course-related material. All other
uses (instant messaging, games, web surfing, etc.) will result in having to turn off your
computer. Second offenses will result in barring your computer from the classroom.
 Written assignments must cite all sources used and be submitted using 12 point font and
typed double-spaced. All papers must be submitted at the beginning of class on the
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day they due. Even papers emailed after class with permission will result in a ½
grade deduction.
Calendar
Date
General Topic
Specific Topic
Text/Film
1/25
Course Overview
Explanation of Assignments
Introduction of texts
2/1
Addiction Defined
Continuum of Substance Abuse &
beautiful boy/
Part I
Street Drugs Book
Definition of Addiction
Theme: Escape, Denial
2/8
Alcohol/Tobacco/
Physiological & Psychological Effects,
Marijuana
Withdrawal
beautiful boy/
Part II
Street Drugs Book
Discussion: Social Acceptance
Theme: Loss of Control
2/15
Prescription Drugs
Current Trends in Addiction:
beautiful boy/
Part III
Physiological & Psychological Effects &
Street Drugs Book
Social Implications of Prescription Abuse
Themes: Grandiosity, Omnipotence
2/22
Addiction & The
Family
Impact of Addiction on the Family:
Discussion & Film
Rachel Getting
Married/Film In
class
Themes: Shame, Guilt
3/1
Addiction: Beyond the Eating Disorders, Gambling, Sex
Drug
Addiction, etc.
beautiful boy/
Part IV
beautiful boy/
Part V
Themes: Loneliness, Fear
3/8
Culture & Addiction Defining your “World View”/
Themes: Isolation, Manipulation
Intro to Tweak/
In Class Assignment:
Defining Worldview
Journal Entries for beautiful boy due
3/15
No Class
3/22
Treatment
Tweak/ Part One –
Day 1 – Day 9
Modalities and Systems :
Tweak/ Part One –
Cultural implications of treatment & Recovery Day 10-22
Spring Break
Theme: Honesty, truth
3/29
The Field of
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Professional Study, Organizations, Options
Tweak/ Day 23233
Alexandra Lopez, MA, LCADC, SAC, DRCC, CPS
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4/5
Addictions
Theme: Loss of Control, Blame
Addiction/Media
Current Trends in Media : Sensationalizing
Addiction
Tweak/Day 234352
Paper on Addictions Professional Due
Theme: Forgiveness, Letting Go
4/12
Recovery: Getting
Relapse Prevention;
Tweak:/ Part Two
Day 368 -581
Clean & Staying Sober Spirituality and Recovery
Theme: Love
4/19
The Addicted Self
Discussion of both texts… Comparison
and Review
Tweak /Day 583642
Review of Themes on Addiction
4/26
Addiction & Society
Film & Discussion
Journal Entries for Tweak due
Things We Lost in
the Fire/ Film : In
Class
Comparison Paper Due
5/3
Final Exam
In Class
* Indicates course assignment due.
Course Assignments
1. Analysis of two texts: Reading, Discussion, Class Participation and On-going
Journal of the “Themes of Addiction” (30%)
Beautiful Boy & Tweak
Students will be expected to read both texts and keep an ongoing journal that will focus
on the “Themes of Addiction”. Themes will be introduced, defined and discussed during
class time allowing the student the opportunity to interpret the text, as they see it, while
applying acquired knowledge of the disease of addiction. The reading of the text,
beautiful boy, will need to be completed by March 1, 2010. Assignment Due: 3/8/2010
The second text, Tweak, will need to be completed by 4/19/2010: Assignment Due:
4/26/2010
A second assignment for the texts will be an analysis of both books: Writing styles,
themes and “worldview” of each author should be considered. This assignment will
also be due on 4/26/2010. This paper should be no longer than 4 pages.
 Compare and discuss addiction as seen from the eyes of a father and from the
experience of the addict. Discuss similar themes
2. In the News: (10%)
Addiction and Public Figures: The Intervention Phenomenon
The purpose of this ongoing assignment is to think critically about the Sensationalization
& Glamorization of drugs in modern culture. Students will be invited to participate in a
short discussion at the onset of each class. You may view any current media (newspaper,
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magazine, advertisement, musical selection, television program, or film). Students will be
expected to either introduce a current media issue or participate in the discussion.
Students will be graded on ongoing participation.
3. Interview/ Treatment Professional: (10%)
Students will be given a list of treatment facilities in Middlesex County. Each student
will need to interview one staff member working within a treatment facility. The
professional must have a minimum of one year of time spent working in the field of
addictions. This student will submit a 2 page paper discussing the interview. This paper
will be due 3/29/2010.
Questions to consider:
 Why did you choose this field?
 What is their definition of addiction?
 What themes (as discussed in class) do they see most when working with a client;
which themes are often barriers to recovery?
 What is the most rewarding part of your job?
 What are some of the challenges that you experience working with addicted
clients?
 What are your thoughts on “Burnout” in the field?
 What trends are you seeing in your facility as far as drugs of abuse?
4. Final Examination (20%)
This exam will consist of brief essay-style questions designed to help students synthesize
the material covered throughout the semester. The exam will take place during the
regularly scheduled last class period on Monday 5/3/2010 (5:35-8:35 PM).
5. Class Participation (30%)
As the course design depends heavily on class participation, students will be graded on a
scale of 0 to 10 for their participation. A score of 8-10 would require a student to clearly
demonstrate that course readings were done, engage in class discussions through
insightful questions, and play an active role to moving the course forward. A score of 1
would mean the professor knows the student’s name. Attendance does not count toward
class participation (see attendance policy).
Grading
Letter % Range
A+
A
B+
B
C+
C
D
F
98-100+%
91-97%
88-90%
81-87%
78-80%
70-79%
60-69%
<60%
Letter
Equivalent
100%
95%
90%
85%
80%
75%
65%
50%
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Explanation
Perfect
Excellent
Very good work
Exceeds minimum requirements
Good understanding of required material
Average work that meets minimum requirements
Shows limited understanding
Unacceptable
Alexandra Lopez, MA, LCADC, SAC, DRCC, CPS
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Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is essential to the success of the educational enterprise and breaches of
academic integrity constitute serious offenses against the academic community. Every member of
that community bears a responsibility for ensuring that the highest standards of academic
integrity are upheld. Only through a genuine partnership among students, faculty, staff, and
administrators will the University be able to maintain the necessary commitment to academic
integrity.
The University administration is responsible for making academic integrity an institutional
priority and for providing students and faculty with effective educational programs and support
services to help them fully understand and address issues of academic integrity. The
administration is also responsible for working with other members of the academic community to
establish equitable and effective procedures to deal with violations of academic integrity.
The faculty shares the responsibility for educating students about the importance and principles
of academic integrity. Individual faculty members are also responsible for informing students of
the particular expectations regarding academic integrity within individual courses, including
permissible limits of student collaboration and, where relevant, acceptable citation format.
Finally, all members of the faculty should report all violations of academic integrity they
encounter.
Students are responsible for understanding the principles of academic integrity fully and abiding
by them in all their work at the University. Students are also encouraged to report alleged
violations of academic integrity to the faculty member teaching the course in which the violation
is alleged to have occurred.
All members of our community must be confident that each person's work has been responsibly
and honorably acquired, developed, and presented. Any effort to gain advantage not given to all
students is dishonest, whether or not the effort is successful. A violation of academic honesty is a
breach of trust, and will result in penalties, including possible suspension or expulsion. When in
doubt about plagiarism, paraphrasing, quoting, or collaboration, consult the course instructors.
For additional information, go to: http://academicintegrity.rutgers.edu/students.shtml
Drugs, Culture & Society
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