ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that what is required is a pedagogic model which enables and encourages an exploration of existential issues, within which students are encouraged to explore, in this particular case, first person narratives of drug use in order to address the visceral and human elements of such behavior. It explores an issue arising from traditional teaching methods within the social sciences which, at its core, aims to address how lecturers can perform a 'balancing act' within their teaching practice. The chapter aims to bring together several strands of discussion which are applied to an example of teaching practice, focuses on a particular undergraduate module entitled 'Drugs and Drug Use'. It discusses that an element of the perceived weakness of a social science based approach to gaining knowledge and understanding, in certain areas, can be addressed to some extent by turning to literary texts as an important source of knowledge.
