LFU:online

The aim of the course is to provide students with an introduction to the opioid epidemic in the United States and to analyze how this crisis is mediated, discussed, and reflected on in literary texts of the last two decades. Students will gain an understanding of how and why these narratives have become popular and consider the unique role the opioid crisis plays in American culture. The course will also grapple with the conventions of addiction narratives and how they inform and/or limit the mediation of the opioid crisis. In addition, students will explore questions of race, gender, and queerness alongside and in dialogue with considerations of form, genre, and publication/reception contexts.

The United States is in the midst of an opioid epidemic. Overdosing on opioids kills up to 100,000 people per year in the US. As such, this epidemic impacts thousands of families all over the US. The epidemic started with the drastic increase of over- and misuse of opioids since the late 1990s: increased prescription rates resulted in widespread misuse of both prescription drugs (e.g., Oxycodone, Methadone, and Fentanyl) and non-prescription opioids (illicit substances such as heroin). Ever since, the topic has been addressed in countless literary texts. This course examines the representation and visibility of the opioid crisis and addiction in general and focuses on the lived experiences of those that are addicted themselves or lost a friend or family member to the opioid crisis. We will examine how different historical, cultural, political, and affective dimensions inform the representation and interpretation of the opioid crisis in assigned texts. Most are written literary texts, but other media (e.g., film, news coverage, TV) will also be incorporated.

Obligatory readings, group discussions, presentations, written assignments.

Active class participation, group discussions, term paper

TBA. As far as possible, course materials and selected primary and secondary sources will be posted on OLAT and/or made available at the ULB.

Prerequisite for the Bachelor Program (612): positive completion of compulsory module 10, for BA Lehramt (457): positive completion of compulsory module 13