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Addiction As a Cultural Concept

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About the Course

Note: M. Stanton Peele has been a voice in the field of alcohol and drug problems for many decades. His viewpoints are thought provoking and sometimes controversial. It is not required that all professionals agree with his perspectives. At a minimum however, the thoughtful professional must consider and address the challenging concepts Peele sets forth in his writings.

Note: We offer a number of courses based on Peele’s writings. If interested, simply enter M. Stanton Peele into the Search bar.

This publication states that our current conception of addiction is a historical anomaly, one that has arisen independent of laboratory or epidemiological data about drug use. Nonetheless, versions of addictions based on these images of narcotic addiction and alcoholism have become increasingly popular and have been generalized to whole new areas of behavior. The article addresses these concepts, which the author believes have considerable potential for doing harm.

This course is based on the reading-based online article, Addiction As a Cultural Concept created by Stanton Peele

Publication Date:

1990

Course Material Author

Stanton Peele

Stanton Peele has been investigating, thinking, and writing about addiction since 1969. His first bombshell book, Love and Addiction, appeared in 1975. Its experiential and environmental approach to addiction revolutionized thinking on the subject by indicating that addiction is not limited to narcotics, or to drugs at all, and that addiction is a pattern of behavior and experience which is best understood by examining an individual's relationship with his/her world. This is a distinctly nonmedical approach. It views addiction as a general pattern of behavior that nearly everyone experiences in varying degrees at one time or another.

Stanton Peele authored the material only, and was not involved in creating this CE course. They are identified here for your own evaluation of the relevancy of the material this course is based on.

Course Creator

Dan Rebek, Ph.D.

Recommended For:

This course is recommended for health care professionals, especially addiction counselors, psychologists, mental health counselors, social workers, and nurses who seek knowledge about addiction as a cultural concept. It is appropriate for all levels of participants' knowledge.

Course Objectives:

After taking this course, you should be able to:

  1. Discuss the history of the concept of addiction and the substances to which the concept was originally applied.
  2. Describe the empirical grounding for current beliefs about addiction.
  3. Explain the cultural concept of addiction and how moralism, politics, and economics relate to the addiction concept.

Disclosure to Learners

Disclosure of Relevant Financial Relationships

CE Learning Systems adheres to the ACCME's Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity – including faculty, planners, reviewers, or others ― are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (formerly known as commercial interests).

The following relevant financial relationships have been disclosed by this activity's planners, faculty, and the reviewer:

Planners and Reviewers

The planners of this activity have reported that they have no relevant financial relationships.

Commercial support

There is no commercial support for this distance-learning course.

Exam Questions

All exam questions for the course are visible on this page for members of Addiction Counselor CE.

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FAQs

  • Is this course approved for my continuing education requirements?

    Yes, most likely. Look Up Your State Board for more detailed information. Logged-in site members will see the relevant approval information displayed in the Approvals tab for every course.

  • Do you have accommodations for my disability (ADA)?

    If you are having trouble using Addiction Counselor CE, please contact us! We would be happy to accommodate your needs right away, and your input will help us make Addiction Counselor CE more accessible for future users too.

  • How do I enroll in this course?

    Use the Enroll In This Course button and just follow the instructions! You don't pay anything until you're ready to take an exam.

  • What do I have to do to complete the course?

    To complete the course, review the course objectives, then review the material, and then pass the exam with a score of 75% or greater and lastly complete an evaluation.

  • How do I access the materials?

    Most of our courses are based on online articles available for free to the public. Some courses, such as those based on books, require that you purchase the material. Use the Materials tab above for more info. You don't need to enroll in the course to access materials, whether free or paid. So you always know what you're getting into before you commit to taking the exam.

  • How do I get my certificate?

    Your certificate(s) will be available to download or email immediately when you pass the course exam and complete the evaluation.

  • Can I contact you for more help?

    Yes! Use the Help widget at the bottom-right of the screen anywhere on Addiction Counselor CE to search our help docs, or to ask our support team for help. Unlike most of our competitors, Addiction Counselor CE has live US-based support reps to help you by email, chat, or phone.

Course Retired
Course Number 101571
2 CE credit hours
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  • Reading-Based Online
Exam Fee $11.94
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