HIS32350

This module explores the social history of alcohol and drugs in Ireland, Britain and North America from the late eighteenth century to present day. From US prohibition to smoking bans; opium dens to heroin addiction; and the gin craze to ecstasy raves, a long, historical perspective is essential for understanding debates about alcohol and drug use today.

The module is broadly chronological, beginning in the 18th Century with the "gin craze" and the evolution of a ‘disease model’ of addiction from the 1770s, and changing approaches to stemming the tide of substance misuse. These include the rise of the temperance movement, prohibition in the 1920s United States and the origins of ‘rehab’. Attention will be paid to how restrictive legislation, recreational norms/subcultures and drug classification have been shaped by discrete sets of social, cultural and political ideas in historical contexts. The course will also examine how attitudes towards drugs and alcohol lend insight into wider cultures and societies at specific historical moments. Throughout, the importance of class, gender and ethnicity will be assessed. The rise of the medical profession and the growing influence of medical knowledge will also form a central theme. The course will engage with a blend of secondary readings and primary source material, including audio-visual clips, testimony from patients in mental hospitals and pamphlets.