Youth, Drugs and Alcohol – Social Science Approaches

About

Among many young Europeans, alcohol and drugs are the preferred means of altering consciousness. These substances are used as part of various social activities either on weekends in bars, nightclubs, or music festivals, or on weekdays. This course examines both alcohol and drug use that are perceived as problematic and unproblematic by young people themselves and it discusses how alcohol and drug related problems and risks are perceived and addressed from various social science perspectives.

During the course, students will discuss the following key questions: How do young people intoxicate themselves in contemporary western societies? How do various social factors intersect with, and impact, alcohol and drug use (marginalization, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, risk-environments, migration background etc.)? How are different drug markets organized, and how (and why) do some young people become involved in selling illegal substances? How are young people’s alcohol and drug use problematized and conceptualized? And how can potentially harmful alcohol and drug use be prevented and treated?

The course will introduce students to a range of social science approaches to the study of alcohol and drugs use among youth, and it will ask students to reflect upon the interdisciplinarity of the field of alcohol and drug research.

Students are required to read all course literature and complete small preparatory exercises before the first day of the course.

Course leader

Kristian Haulund Jensen and Freja Ilsing Magnussen

Target group

To apply for the course you must either be enrolled in a bachelor's degree, have a bachelor's degree or have passed a qualifying entry examination.

The course is designed for students within the social sciences, such as psychology, anthropology, criminology, cultural studies, ethnology, history, political science, and sociology. No prior knowledge of drug research is required.

Fee info