Professor: Lewis Course format: Seminar Number of respondents: 17 Total Enrollment: 20 Class Composition: Froshs: 0 Sophs: 0 Jrs: 8 Srs: 12 Concs: 6 Non-Concs: 10 Don't Know: 0

Instructor Average: 1.34 Course Average: 1.50

“Drug and Alcohol Addiction in the American Consciousness” is an interdisciplinary course. The aims of this seminar are to examine drug addiction in the United States from a number of different perspectives. Through this process the students are to obtain a better understanding of the permeation of drugs and alcohol in the US. No prerequisites are cited for this course except for genuine interest in the topic and willingness to do a lot of reading.

Students assert that Professor Lewis was extraordinarily knowledgeable about the topic and let students freely discuss it with very little intervention. Many students wished he had interjected more and steered the conversation more frequently than he actually did. Students generally praised his ability and willingness to answer questions and appreciated his accessibility.

The course requires three papers: two five to seven page papers and one 20 - 30 page paper. Respondents claimed that the papers were very flexible in terms of subject matter, and they did not complain about the workload. The readings were generally both useful and interesting, although many students disliked the Foucault reading. Students especially praised the course packet as a source of interesting and relevant reading.

Students generally worked between three and five hours a week on reading, and perhaps a little more when a paper was due. This matched most expectations. Most students were very enthusiastic about the class as a great venue for student run discussion. Unfortunately, this small class is under very high demand and it is unlikely that underclassmen would be able to secure placement in it. So if you have interest in addiction in society, then make sure to pre-register for this course next semester.

View UC/0116 in the Brown Online Course Announcement.