GERON 210: Substance Use and Aging

This course examines substance use among older adults as a social and behavioral phenomenon. Drawing on theory and empirical research from sociology, social psychology, public health, and gerontology, students will analyze how aging-related changes - biological, psychological, and social - intersect with patterns of alcohol, prescription medication, tobacco, cannabis, and illicit substance use across the second half of the life course. The course treats it as a window onto enduring questions in the social and behavioral sciences: How do social structures and policies shape individual behavior? Why do exposures and outcomes differ so dramatically across populations? How do stigma, identity, and social networks shape help-seeking and recovery? Students will apply core theoretical frameworks (the life course perspective, cumulative dis/advantage, social determinants of health, social network theory, and stigma theory) to interpret empirical evidence, critically evaluate research design and measurement, and develop their own evidence-informed analyses.