POPLHLTH 307 : Communities and Addictions

Medical and Health Sciences

2021 Semester One (1213) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Examines how addictions such as tobacco, alcohol, drugs and gambling seriously undermine the health of individuals and the communities in which they live and/or work. Case studies are used to understand the primary elements of community and cultural health development.

Course Overview

Addiction is a term used in everyday life to describe a range of experiences associated with loss of control. The term addiction is however controversial and can mean different things to different people. Alcohol, cannabis or smoking are not addictions per se but behaviours that can become problematic and finally addictive. When addictions do develop they can cause harm to the person, their family and the wider community.

This course invites students to consider the continuum towards addiction across a broad range of behaviours. This includes those behaviours traditionally associated with addiction (alcohol, cannabis and smoking) as well as a new behavioural addiction (gambling). This course also examines other behaviours associated with loss of control. Argued to be process addictions, we will examine whether behaviours like internet gaming, pornography, mobile phone, sugar and exercise can also lead to an addiction. Students are also invited to consider these (potential) addictive behaviours in terms of their prevalence, characteristics and harms.

This undergraduate level course offers students an entry point to thinking about how theory and models can be used to understand the development of addictive behaviour. Models will range from the Disease Model through to the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Students will have an opportunity to consider how well each model predicts the range of addictive behaviours presented in the course. There will also be an opportunity for students to critique contemporary models of addiction from a community or cultural perspective.

This course is relevant to anyone pursuing a career in mental health and addictions practice or research. This course is complementary to the Stage Two course ‘POPLHLTH 212’ Bio-behavioural aspects of drug use which presents an introduction to a biological lens to studying addiction. Both courses are part of the Addiction and Mental Health pathway within the BHSc and provide a good background to further alcohol and drug/ mental health studies at honours or other post graduate studies at the School of Population Health.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: 30 points at Stage II in Population Health

Course Contacts

Dr Simone Rodda 
Course Director
room 507-1168
s.rodda@auckland.ac.nz

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 3: Solution Seeking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Capability 5: Independence and Integrity
Capability 6: Social and Environmental Responsibilities

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Evaluate the meaning of addiction including addictive, problematic and risky behaviours from a range of perspectives (Capability 1.2, 2.2, 3.3, 4.3, 5.2 and 6.3)
  2. Describe the prevalence, characteristics and harms of a range of addictive behaviours in New Zealand and the wider community (Capability 1.1, 2.2, 5.2 and 6.2)
  3. Apply a range of theories and models to explain the development and recovery from addictive behaviours (Capability 2.1 and 3.2)
  4. Evaluate approaches applied to addictive behaviours within a public health framework (Capability 1.2 and 2.1)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Test 20% Individual Test
Essay 30% Individual Coursework
Final Exam 50% Individual Examination
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4
Test
Essay
Final Exam

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, each week you can expect 2 hours of lectures, a 1 hour tutorial, 2 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 5 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including tutorials to complete components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including tutorials will not be available as recordings.
The course will include live online events including tutorials.
Attendance on campus is required for the test and exam.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

There are prescribed readings assigned to each lecture which will be made available to students on the University’s learning platform CANVAS.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Other Information

This course is held at The University of Auckland Grafton Campus. Lectures are at 12-1pm on Wednesday and 8-9am on Fridays. Tutorials are on Wednesdays 3-4 pm or Friday at 9-10 am or 10-11 am

Digital Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 23/11/2020 09:41 a.m.