The Influences of Biology, Family, and Culture

From your readings in this course, you are aware of how substance abuse and other addictions are complex issues that reflect overlapping dimensions of biology, family, and culture. A major challenge is to keep these dimensions in focus when working with clients. Now that you have explored these dimensions, you will demonstrate your knowledge by integrating them in an example.

To prepare for this assignment:

� Review this week’s Learning Resources, focusing on the information about how biology, family, and culture may contribute to and/or impact substance abuse and addiction.

� Analyze how the dimensions of biology, family, and culture overlap.

� Reflect on the challenges of discerning causality in substance abuse and addiction.

� Think of a hypothetical case in which you might illustrate the impact of biology, family, and culture on substance abuse and/or addiction.

� Consider how biological, familial, and cultural influences have an impact on the case.

The assignment: (1�2 pages)

� Create and describe a hypothetical example that specifically illustrates how biology, family, and culture may contribute to and/or impact substance abuse and/or addiction.

� Explain how biology, family, and culture may each contribute to substance abuse and/or addiction in the case.

Support your Application assignment with specific references to all resources used in its preparation. You are asked to provide a reference list only for those resources not included in the Learning Resources for this course.

Culture and Substance Abuse

Introduction

Last week, you learned about the roles and complexities of family dynamics and how these interact with substance abuse and addiction. Now you will turn your attention to the broader dimension of culture and what its effects are on substance abuse and addiction.

Take a moment to think about all you have learned through the program regarding culture and its impact on individuals. How might culture impact individuals dealing with substance abuse concerns? How might substance abuse compare in different cultures?

This week, you will analyze the role that culture plays in the structure of substance abuse and addiction. You then will integrate what you have learned about how biology, family, and culture may contribute to substance abuse and addiction by demonstrating and examining these dimensions in a case study.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this week, you should be able to:

� Compare the impact of different cultures on substance abuse and addiction

� Analyze and explain the biological, familial, and cultural contributors to and impacts on substance abuse and addiction

Learning Resources

Readings

� Course Text: Substance Abuse Counseling

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o For review: Chapter 4, “Etiology of Substance Abuse: Why People Use” (pp. 105�110 only)

o For review: Chapter 9, “Family Treatment” (pp. 240�253 only)

o Chapter 12, “Working with Diverse Cultures: Exploring Sociocultural Influences and Realities in ATOD Treatment and Prevention” (pp. 311�335)