Drugs in America – the history of getting high 4219-SH0049-OG

The course offers participants a journey through American cultural history through the lens of substance use. Because of the strong cultural ties of particular substances to ethnic groups in the USA, the participants will explore the racial tensions, and various political and national aspects of living in a melting pot.

The course will be a historical journey: it begins with the history of North American tribes and their use of psychoactive substances (tobacco, cocoa beans). Next, participants will discover first regulations concerning opium use by the Chinese in the 19th century, the widespread use of cocaine as the secret ingredient of Coca-Cola, the alcohol prohibition of the 1920s, the criminalization of marijuana use and its association with racial and ethnic discrimination against Hispanic and Black communities. We'll analyze Aldous Huxley's famous The Doors of Perception, which describes the effects of mescaline, and trace the development of LSD and its connection to the counterculture movement. We will critically discuss U.S. drug policies introduced in the 1970s and the 1980s, and the War on Drugs. Finally, the course will look at contemporary issues, including prescription drug (painkiller) abuse, the modern drinking culture of American youth, the opioid crisis (Fentanyl), fast food addiction, and the social stigmatization of addiction and homelessness and more.

Our journey will be navigated by sociological concepts such as Goffman's Stigma, Berger's Alternation and Ecstasy, and various theories of culture, ethnic identity, and counterculture. It will also include a critical look at the media portrayals of drugs in America that appear in pop-culture, movies, TV series, books and cartoons.

Type of course

general courses
elective courses
general courses

Mode

Classroom

Course coordinators

Anna Węgiel

Learning outcomes

Knowledge:
• The student possesses general knowledge of the history of substance use in America, from colonial to contemporary times.
• The student has in-depth knowledge regarding specific issues within the fields of cultural studies and sociology, such as: alternation, ethnic identity, stigma, discrimination against ethnic groups, US drug policies.
• The student is aware of the processes (social and cultural) influencing the use of drugs in American society.
Skills:
• The student can think critically about various phenomena associated with substance use, such as stigmatization, discrimination against ethnic groups, US drug policy, the War on Drugs, capitalism.
• The student can analyze media content by examining its discourse.
• The student can create a synthesis of knowledge from various sources and draw their own conclusions from the subject literature.
Competences:
• The course helps develop teamwork skills.
• The course develops the ability to discuss and critically analyze cultural texts.
• The course develops self-presentation and public speaking skills.
• The course develops academic writing skills.

Assessment criteria

1. Presentation on a selected topic - 40%
2. Term paper – 30%
3. Active participation in class discussions – 30%
To pass the course, the student must complete all three assessment components (Presentation, Term Paper, and Active Participation).

0-55% = 2
56-69% =3
70-83% =4
84-97%=5
98-100%=5!

Bibliography

High Society: Mind-Altering Drugs in History and Culture. Mike Jay, Thames & Hudson 2010.
The Oxford Handbook of Global Drug History. Paul Gootenberg. Oxford University Press, 2022.
Drugs in America: A social history, 1800-1980. H. Wayne Morgan, Syracuse University Press, 1981.
The War on Drugs: a History. ed. by David Farber, New York University Press.
Human History on Drugs: An Utterly Scandalous But Entirely Truthful Look at History Under the Influence. Sam Kelly, Random House, 2025.
Drugs in America: A documentary history. David Musto. New York University Press, 2002.
Drugs in American society. Erich Goode. Knopf, 1989.
The American Disease, Origins Of Narcotic Control. David Musto, 1999.
Invitation to sociology: A Humanistic Perspective. Berger, Peter L. Penguin books, 1967.
Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity, Goffman, Erving Penguin Books, 1963.

Additional information

Information on level of this course, year of study and semester when the course unit is delivered, types and amount of class hours - can be found in course structure diagrams of apropriate study programmes. This course is related to the following study programmes:

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 4219-SH0049-OG in USOSweb