Homo Addictus

Addiction is an extremely common human experience–an experience that highlights the particular joys and pains of being alive. Addictions to such varied things as alcohol, drugs, the internet, video games, pornography, sex, and shopping address and treat a universal pain that is central to humanity. This course considers how potentially addictive behaviors draw people away from ordinary life. Students read fiction, memoir, and social science texts to examine how addiction relates to other difficulties such as trauma, stress, mental illness, social anxiety, and sexuality.