History
Undergraduate and Graduate Seminar
Tu 2:10-4PM
Through a series of secondary- and primary-source readings, digital archive research, and writing assignments, students in this seminar course will explore one of the most politically controversial aspects in the history of public health in the United States as it has affected peoples of color: intoxicating psychoactive substances. Course readings are primarily historical, but sociologists, anthropologists, and political scientists are also represented on the syllabus. The course’s temporal focus – the twentieth century, especially the post-WWII period to the present – allows us to explore the historicalpolitical and social configurations of opium, alcohol, heroin, cocaine, medical maintenance (methadone), the War on Drugs, the carceral state and hyperpolicing, harm reduction and needle/syringe exchange. Admission to this course is by application.
Prerequisites: the instructor’s permission.
Link to Vergil
Note: only courses offered during the two previous semesters have active Vergil links.
Please note: The Center does not administer the courses listed below and is not responsible for any changes in the content. For more information, please check the course directory or reach out directly to the instructor.
