The Politics of Drug & Alcohol Policy

The Politics of Drug and Alcohol Policy module (CDAS11004) examines the origins and development of policies relating to drug, alcohol and other substances in Scotland, the UK and internationally. The module aims to understand the complex world of drug and alcohol policy development by exploring the influence of politics and ideology, evidence, advocacy, lobbying, and stakeholders’ interests.  Lectures will draw on theoretical models and concepts on policy change and the policy process such as policy framing; multiple streams analysis; advocacy coalition framework; policy diffusion; and governance.  Attention is given to how drug and alcohol issues are defined, constructed, and problematised; the role of policy communities and networks; political discourses; and ideas and values.

Key contemporary debates on new approaches to drug and alcohol policies; on the impact of drug and broader social policies on users and on special populations (such as injecting drug users, families and communities affected by drugs) will be critically examined.  The overall aim is to provide participants with a framework for assessing policy formulation at local, national and international levels.

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

• Demonstrate extensive, detailed and critical knowledge and understanding of current policy issues (relating to drugs, alcohol and other substances).
• Apply critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis to assessing governance and the policy-making processes in relating to drugs, alcohol and other substances.
• Demonstrate effective communication, ICT skills and subject knowledge by presenting complex ideas and analysis in an innovative format to peers and specialists.
• Develop innovative and evidence based responses to problems and issues relating to substance use.

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

 

Delivery 

This module will be delivered online with face-to-face learning.  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 is part of our PgDip Contemporary Drug & Alcohol Studies.

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