Akers

Spring 2008 Periods E 1-3

Meeting in 201E Walker

Office: 201G Walker

Phone: 2-1025 ext 226

Office Hours for this class: Before and after class on Thursday and by appointment

E-mail: rla@crim.ufl.edu

Web Sites: Akers = http://web.crim.ufl.edu/faculty/ra/index.html

Department= http://web.crim.ufl.edu

Course Objectives

The course is designed to gain advanced knowledge of social psychological and sociological perspectives and research on drug and alcohol use, nature, distribution, and trends in substance use and abuse in society with a focus on illegal and deviant drug and alcohol behavior and relation to crime, law, criminal justice, prevention/treatment, and public policy.

Course Requirements, Assignments, and Grades

1. Responsibility for Readings and Seminar Discussions.

Reading assignments are made from the required texts and reproduced materials on each theory as shown on the Course Outline and Reading Assignments below.

Each student in the seminar will be responsible for reading the assignments and coming to the class prepared to raise and answer questions and join in the discussion about them. Other reading assignments may be made from time to time as appropriate. The readings should be done with a view toward a clear understanding of the content of the assignment, a critical appreciation for its strengths and weaknesses, and how it relates to the topic for that particular class session. Class participation should indicate preparation through having read and thought about the topics and issues in the assignments.

2. Student-Led Class Discussion.

Each student will also be assigned to lead discussion of assigned readings during one class session. No student will be assigned to do this more than once during the semester, but depending on the number of students enrolled there may be more than one discussion leader in any given class period.

Leading the discussion will entail: (1) Providing a concise and accurate overview of the assigned readings and (2) asking relevant questions about the readings and eliciting response from others in the seminar, (3) moderating the discussion.

Although the length of this discussion may vary depending on the topic and readings, no student will be expected to lead a discussion for more than one class period.

3. Student Class Presentations.

A. Each student in the seminar will also be required to make an oral class presentation of approximately 15 minutes on a literature source that is not on the assigned reading list and has not been assigned to another student.

The student will be responsible for distributing copies of a 1-2 page summary or outline of the reading, with full bibliographic reference, to each member of the seminar and to me.

The readings on which the presentations are made will be selected by the students reflecting their special interests, but must be approved by me at least one week prior to the session in which the presentation is made.

The reading must be relevant to one of the topics under discussion by the class, and the presentation will be made during the class period(s) in which that topic is discussed. Once we have moved on to other topics, no presentations will be scheduled for previous topics. There will not necessarily be a presentation at each class session, but I will attempt to schedule no more than two such presentations during any given class period. Therefore, the earlier the student decides on what presentation to make the better.

The piece on which the presentation is made must be a published (in print or online) journal article, book chapter, or other source (ordinarily this would not be a whole book) that is an original statement or presentation (i.e. not a summary, textbook, review, newspaper article, encyclopedia or other secondary source). It could be an article from one of the edited books of reading for this course, provided that the particular reading is not already on the list of assigned readings for the course.

B. At the end of the term each student will also give a presentation to the seminar on their respective term paper projects (see 4 next and the tentative Schedule of Seminar Sessions and Topics). 

4. Graduate Term Paper.

Each student will be required to complete and submit to the instructor a seminar term paper on some topic or issue on alcohol, drugs, and society. The topic of this paper will be of the student's choosing, but must be made in consultation with and approval of the instructor. Of course, the final product must be the work of the student; evidence of plagiarism will result in failure and possible reference to student honor court. The paper may focus on one or more of the topics covered in the class assignments, or if appropriate to the student's particular interests, on another relevant topic. The paper may be a critical, conceptual, or theoretical analysis using library resources, an empirical paper using primary or secondary data analysis, an analysis or empirical evaluation of drug or alcohol policy or program, or other relevant ways of addressing issues and topics in drugs, alcohol, crime, and society .

To be acceptable, the paper must be of graduate quality, about 20-25 pages with double-spaced printing, done in standard social science journal format (e.g. ASR, SF, SP, Criminology) for style, citation, and references. The paper should be written as if it were to be submitted for publication to a journal as an article, to an editor as a book chapter, for some other scholarly or academic purpose, outlet, or audience. It is quite possible to write a publishable paper for the seminar and that should be your goal in doing the paper. Students are also encouraged to become acquainted with student paper competitions held by various relevant scholarly societies (e.g. ASC, ACJS, ASA, SSSP, SSS) and considered submitting their seminar papers for that competition.

The paper will be evaluated on the usual criteria for assessing scholarly or scientific papers, such as quality of content, writing style and organization, demonstration of knowledge and mastery of the paper's topic, use of literature sources, how well the paper relates to, goes beyond, or adds knowledge to the extant body of knowledge on the topic, adequacy of the methodology (where relevant) or approach taken in the paper, and the soundness of logic, theoretical reasoning, and conclusions.

The earlier the student begins selecting a term paper topic, the better. The topic, approach, and tentative outline of the paper must be approved by me no later than March 6.

Changes in topic or approach can be made after this date if warranted.

The paper may be submitted to me as the final submission for a grade at any time during the semester, but no later than the due date of April 21.

It is not required, but each student has the option of submitting drafts of the paper to me for reactions, suggestions, and critique without a grade being assigned anytime before April 11. Any submitted to me after that date will be viewed as the final draft and assigned a grade without further opportunity to revise.

5. Bases for Assignment of Grades for the Course.

There will be no examinations, written or oral, in the course.
The course grade will be based primarily on the evaluation of the quality of the term paper. But the grade will also be based on evaluation of the quality of the student's leading a class discussion, oral presentation made in class,on articles and term paper projects, and participation in the seminar discussions.

6. Class Attendance.

A seminar is dependent upon the consistent preparation and participation of the students. Therefore, attendance is required and absences must be excused by me. This should be done by contacting me before (if there is prior knowledge of an absence) or as soon after an unanticipated absence as possible. Because part of the grade is based on quality of class participation, unexcused absences could adversely affect the grade in the course.

Required Texts

1. Erich Goode, 2008. Drugs in American Society. Seventh Edition, New York: McGraw-Hill

2. James A. Incardi and Karen McElrath, eds., 2008. The American Drug Scene. Fifth Edition, New York: Oxford University Press.

3. Margaret S. Kelly, ed., 2006 Readings in Drugs and Society: The Criminal Connection. Boston: Pearson.

I. Overview of the Course and Topics

II. Basic Concepts, Types, and Effects of Drugs

A. Concepts of Drug and Alcohol Behavior

1. What is a drug?

2. Deviant drug use and abuse

3. Habituation and addiction

B. Principal Types and Effects of Drugs

Goode: Ch. 1 and 2

Inciardi and McElrath: Introduction

III. Sociological and Social Psychological Theories of Alcohol and Drug Use/Abuse

A. Social Disorganization, Anomie, and General Strain Theories

B. Social Bonding and Self-Control Theories

C. Social Learning Theory

D. Self-derogation Theory

E. Selective Interaction/Socialization Theory

F. Conflict Theory

Goode: Ch. 3

Inciardi and McElrath: 1. Lindesmith; 2. Syvertsen; 3. Hirsch et al.

IV. Use and Abuse of Alcohol and Drugs in American Society

A. Prevalence and Trends in Alcohol and Drug Use and Abuse

B. Drug Scares: Myths and Realities

Goode: Ch. 5; 6; 7;

Inciardi: 6. Reinarman; 16. Inciardi and Syvertsen; 25. Miller and Leger; 26. Jenkins

V. Alcohol and Tobacco: Use, Control, and Policy

A. Alcohol and Smoking Behavior

B. Regulation and Control

Goode: Ch. 8

Inciardi and McElrath: 7. Siegal and Inciardi; 10. Nichter

VI. Use and Abuse of Illicit Drugs

A. Marijuana and Hallucinogens

Goode: Ch. 9

Inciardi and McElrath: 12. Grinspoon; 13. Sifaneck et al.; 29. Kelly

Kelly: 5. Golub and Johnson.

B. Cocaine and Amphetamines

Goode: Ch. 10

Inciardi and McElrath: 20. Musto; 22. Clatts et al.; 23. Jackson-Jacobs ; 24. Miller; 30. Lankenau and Clatts

C. Heroin and Opiates

Goode: Ch. 11

Inciardi and McElrath: 18. Preble and Casey 19. Pierce

VII. Drugs, Alcohol, and Crime and Delinquency

Goode: Ch. 12;

Inciardi and McElrath: 17. Tunnell (A); 32. Nurco et al. (A); 34. Goldstein (A);

Kelly: 1. McBride and McCoy; 3. MacCoun et al., 13. Baron and Hartnagel; 14. White et al.

VIII. The Drug Trade and Illegal Industry

Goode: 13

Inciardi and McElrath: 35. Maher and Daly

Kelly: 26. VanNostrand and Rewksbury

IX. Law, Criminal Justice, Policy, and Progams on Illegal Drugs

A. Law, Control, and Treatment

Goode: Ch. 4; 14

Inciardi and McElrath: 37. National Institute on Drug Abuse; 40. Rosenbaum

Kelly: 16. Anglin et al; 17. Longshore et al.; 18. Braithwaite; 22. Hser, et al.

B. Decriminalization and Legalization

Goode: Ch. 15

Inciardi and McElrath: 41. Nadelmann; 43. Kleber and Inciardi; 44. Broadhead et al.

Kelly: 24. Marx et al.