Understanding Substance Use

In the Understanding Substance Use module (CDAS11005), the teaching team will introduce you to concepts and theories that are essential for Understanding Substance Use.  We begin by exploring what drugs are, and how evidence, values and ideologies shape our knowledge and views on substance use.  We consider substance use from a historical and social science perspective and develop an understanding of how alcohol and other drugs have been consumed across time and place, and the influences of ‘drug, set and setting’ on drug use outcomes.  We will also explore concepts and models of addiction from a range of perspectives.  In addition, we will examine patterns of consumption, the pleasures and risks of substance use, stigma, and social determinants and risk environments of health.

This module introduces students to key concepts and historical information that will facilitate a contemporary understanding of how substance use is understood.

This module provides subject specialist knowledge and is a required module for both the MSc and the Pg Certificate.

Topics include:

• Historical understanding of substance use, and the emergence of the concepts of addiction and dependence.
• Socio demographic patterns of consumption within populations, from global to local perspective.
• Multi-disciplinary understanding of how substance use is understood from a range of disciplines including biology, psychology, criminology and sociology. 

At the end of this module the student will be able to:

• Demonstrate a critical understanding of how substance use and its impacts are understood from a range of perspectives.
• Show a critical understanding of the prevalence of substance use and problems. 
• Critically understand the effects of substance use on individuals, families, communities and the State.
• Demonstrate a critical awareness of how theories of addiction and dependence impact on understanding substance use and associated issues.

This is an SCQF Level 11 module and upon successful completion, participants will be awarded 20 credits.

To view the module descriptor, please visit Programme Specifications and Module Descriptors 

 

Delivery 

This module will be delivered online with face-to-face learning.  Timetable to be confirmed.

 

Course presenter

This module will be delivered by April Shaw.

 

Funding

This course may be available on a fully funded basis to some delegates.  Further details, including regarding eligibility, are available under Funding Support.

If you have any questions, please contact us at cpd@uws.ac.uk 

 

NOTE: This is a university module and upon approval of your application, you will be invited to register and then supported to complete enrolment. To enrol on the university system, the first step involves security set-up using the Microsoft Authenticator app; you will need to ensure that you have a compatible smartphone.

Further enrolment information is available at the Student Information Portal.

To access this module via the CPD route, individuals should be ordinarily resident in Scotland.   

 

Further study 

In addition to being available on a CPD basis, this module provides subject specialist knowledge and is a required module for both the MSc, PgDip and the Pg Certificate in Contemporary Drug & Alcohol Studies.

This module introduces students to key concepts and historical information that will facilitate a contemporary understanding of how substance use is understood.  This module provides subject specialist knowledge and is a required module for both the MSc and the Pg Certificate.

Modules available through the UWS CPD Centre include:

• Understanding Substance Use
• Contemporary Responses to Substance Use
• The Politics of Drug & Alcohol Policy

For further information regarding this postgraduate programme, please contact ask@uws.ac.uk

For further information regarding any of the above modules, please contact cpd@uws.ac.uk