ADDICTION(S) – SOCIAL AND CEREBRAL

Majvik, Finland 8-10 Sep 2010

The European Neuroscience and Society Network (ENSN - www.neurosocieties.eu) and ADDICTION 2007-2010 Research Program (Academy of Finland) are pleased to announce their joint symposium: Addiction(s) — Social and Cerebral. The symposium will be held on 8-10 September 2010 in the Majvik congress hotel, an old mansion in a beautiful place near Helsinki, Finland.

The symposium brings together scholars from neurosciences, psychology and social sciences, as well as experts of addiction treatments, to discuss the nature and concept of addiction(s). There are two key topics in the symposium. The first theme is what is/are addiction(s), and the different definitions, explanations and understandings of the essence of addiction(s) are discussed from the perspectives of neurosciences and other biological research, psychology, social sciences, and history. The second theme is how has/have addiction(s) become and conceived of as a problem. The discussion will be now focused on the ways addiction(s) is/are seen as scientific, medical, social and moral problems, and the questions concerning control, regulation and treatment of addictions and addicts form an important aspect of the discussion.

More precisely, the focus of the discussion about these broad themes is on two recent developments. On the one hand, the notion that all sorts of addictions are essentially unitary has gained ground in many fields of research, clinical practice and regulatory policy; on the other hand, the impact of neurosciences in both understanding and treatment of addictions has become ever more central. These developments require interdisciplinary dialogue about the basic concepts and the roles of different disciplines in advancing knowledge of this phenomenon.

Speakers

Prof Bruce Alexander (Simon Fraser University, Vancouver) A social and historical critique of the NIDA model of addiction – and an attempt to bridge the gap
Prof Nancy Campbell (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) Situated pharmaco-logics: How 'addiction' became lodged in the brain
Prof Esa Korpi (University of Helsinki) Persistent neuronal changes by drugs of abuse
Prof Anja Koski-Jännes (University of Tampere) The interaction of social and biopsychological aspects of addiction
Dr Anne Lovell (Université Paris Descartes) [to be announced]
Prof Pekka Sulkunen (University of Helsinki) Why do we need a sociology of addiction – or do we?
Docent Ulrich Tacke (University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio) Smart drugs (cognition enhancers) - a step in the right direction, a mixed blessing, or a clear threat to society?
Prof Raimo Tuominen (Univ ersity of Helsinki) Nicotine - opioid interactions
Dr Scott Vrecko (University Of Exeter): The anatomopolitics of desire – or, how addiction became a disease of risk
Dr Jana Wrase (Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin) Neuronal correlates of addiction

Further information

Ilpo Helén (ilpo.helen@helsinki.fi)
Professor of Science and Technology Studies, Dept of Social Research/Sociology,
University of Helsinki

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