History 280S: Drugs in World History / Assignments Professor Osseo-Asare Department of History University of California, Berkeley Fall 2009 (Thurs 10-12) Dwinelle 225

Rationale Increasingly, we are medicated subjects, relying on drugs to provide relief, support, and more. The global pharmaceutical industry, herbal medicine market, and illegal trade in drugs are all expanding regimes of commerce. New global networks of drug exchange and the increase in drug use in our own time raise many questions including: How are drugs made? What makes them legal, and in whose hands do they become illicit? Who profits from drugs and why? This course is designed to answer some of these questions through an historical lens.  It's focus is plant-based substances that have straddled the boundaries between medicinals and narcotics during the past two centuries: coca, kola, khat, opium, and plant-based aphrodisiacs and contraceptives. Each is rich in alkaloids, the secondary by-products of metabolism in plants. Each has been the object of experimentation in different parts of the world: Georgia, Ghana, Ethiopia, India, Afghanistan, and Mexico.  The overlapping histories of each plant/drug provide insight into the global flow of botanical and medical knowledge. For those in health policy, these earlier narratives suggest commonalities and differences with recent trends. Further, for historians, following the stories of material objects is a novel way to understand the larger history of the societies in which they are embedded. Goals   This is a reading-intensive seminar. Close study and discussion of books, articles, websites, and required films will allow course participants to: Gain extensive knowledge of the comparative history of drug development and regulation in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. Learn strategies for conducting social histories of material objects, of which drugs are but one example. Learn strategies for creating a digital bibliographic database. Assignments Course participants will be graded on their: Contributions to Class Discussions .................................................................................... 40% Short Research Paper ................ .......................................................................................30% Presentations.....................................................................................................................10% Response Papers...............................................................................................................10% Bibliographic Database........................................................................................................10% Assignments Overview: Participants will select two weeks to present a 10 minute critique of the readings at the start of class. In addition, they will  write a 5 page commentary on the readings for their chosen weeks (due in class after presentation). Participants will develop bibliographic databases documenting readings conducted for this class. These may take the form of a classic annotated bibliography, or may be made using digital platforms such as Endnote, Refworks, Furl or Del.icio.us A short research paper on the history of a particular drug using primary sources available on campus or online (12-15 pages).

Description Books/Media Syllabus