ADS 524 – PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY OF ALCOHOL AND DRUGS

ADS 524 – PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY OF ALCOHOL AND DRUGS

In a five-page essay, you will discuss the influence that alcohol has had on societies and individuals.

Alcohol addiction is a common malady across many countries and cultures in the world. Some cultures encourage the use of alcohol as a part of social ritual while others ban its use entirely. In this assignment, you will conduct research on one of the following cultural groups to understand their use of alcohol. Select one group from the following choices: Native Americans, Eastern European, Western European, Saudi Arabian, or South Koreans.

In the first part of the paper, explain how alcohol affects the body/brain. Summarize the dangers of alcohol abuse on individuals and society. Then, in the second part of the paper, describe alcohol use in a specific group/culture. Use the Kaplan University library to find at least three studies of alcohol use by the chosen group. Explain how that society/group views alcohol use, alcoholism, and treatment for alcoholism.

In the second part of the paper, provide examples of how members of the selected culture transmit their attitudes about alcohol to other members of their culture. Find examples of advertising, traditions, and/or stories that either encourage or discourage the use of alcohol. How do these messages influence the trends of use in that society?

Explain how alcohol use has either served or hurt the people in your selected group.

Focus your paper on the following ideas:

Part One (at least two pages)

1. Describe how the body and brain can be damaged from the use of too much alcohol.

2. What are the dangers of addiction for individuals and society?

Part Two (at least two pages)

3. Provide a specific example of how members of the selected group communicate their beliefs about alcohol to encourage or discourage drinking (e.g. television commercials). Then, describe how those messages help to form the beliefs about alcohol and treatment of the selected group (e.g. members of social fraternities often encourage alcohol consumption by sharing their drinking stories with each other).

4. Research the trends of use in the selected culture (within the last twenty years). Describe the rates of use and treatment (e.g. increase or decrease) and explain why the rates have changed or stayed the same.

5. In the summary, provide reflection about how cultural attitudes influence the drinking trends of that culture.

Each paper should include:

A title page

The paper itself (the “discussion”) body of the paper

Citations formatted according to the most recent edition of the APA manual

Use standard margins: 1″ on all sides.

Use standard 12-point font size, Times New Roman or Arial.

Use standard double-spacing: average of 22 lines per page, and between 20 and 24 lines per page.

Use left-aligned text. Do not right-justify.

A reference page

Grading Criteria to be followed
Content

Addresses the following:

Part One:

Explanation of how alcohol damages specific parts of the body, including parts of the brain when used to excess. The explanation should also include specific information about how alcohol use have caused problems in our society. To earn a high grade in this area, the student should add examples of how alcohol has created problems either in their community, in the country, or in other countries.

Part Two:

There should be a full explanation of the alcohol use of one specific group (e.g. senior citizens). The explanation includes knowledge of the groups use, attitudes about use, and recommended treatment. The trends of use for this group should reported and then compared to the overall use in the United States.

Makes predictions about future alcohol use in the selected group. Reflects on what these predicted outcomes might mean for the country overall.

Writing

Structure:
Paper includes a title page, introduction with thesis statement, conclusion, and in-text citations and reference page using APA style.

Paper is appropriate in length (body of the paper should be at least 5 pages in length not including the title page or reference page).

Paper includes reference to the textbook and at least 3 other academic sources.

Mechanics:

Form and paper use Standard American English including correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and complete sentences and paragraphs).

Form and paper are free of typographical errors.

Form and paper include a highly developed viewpoint and purpose.

Form and paper demonstrate superior organization; communication is highly ordered, logical and unified.