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Unit of study_
OLET2107: Drug Wars
2025 unit information
Starting with the US War on Drugs, this OLE introduces the cultural, political, health and economic issues of the international illegal drug trade. It advances an understanding of the global commodity chains, migrations, political decisions, and cultural meanings that imbue drug production, distribution, and consumption. Students will gain an understanding of transnational policy, public health, cultural connections, underground economies and the consequences of legalised narcotic consumption. Students will study cultural texts such as hip hop and HBO TV, and ethnographic research on Afghani poppy farmers, Peruvian coca field workers, and non-violent offenders in American prisons.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
DVC (Research)
| Study level | Undergraduate |
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| Academic unit | United States Studies Centre |
| Credit points | 2 |
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Prerequisites:
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None |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Identify some of the ways that economic, political, and foreign policy decisions affect the production, distribution, and consumption of drugs.
- LO2. Demonstrate skills of analysis of written, oral, visual, and digital texts.
- LO3. Respond effectively to unfamiliar problems and contexts using evidence-based communication and scholarly writing.
- LO4. Interpret various cultural meanings of drugs, drug use, and drug regulation within and beyond the US.
- LO5. Explain the role of race in both policing and sentencing in the “War on Drugs,” especially in connection with incarceration rates in the US.
- LO6. Analyse medical and public health issues associated with drug wars both historically as well as in the present.
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 2 2025
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Online | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
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