Summer 2018 - LBST 311 D100

Labour and the Environment (3)

Class Number: 6828

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    May 7 – Aug 3, 2018: Wed, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
    Vancouver

  • Prerequisites:

    30 units. Strongly Recommended: LBST 101.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

The changing relationships between unions and environmental groups; how work in various industries contribute to climate change; and how climate-change policies affect workers in different ways. The consequences of climate policies for different categories of workers, identified by economic sector, geographic location, gender, ethnicity, and Aboriginal status.

COURSE DETAILS:

In this course, we will examine the nature of work and the environment in North America with a focus on Canada. We will start by examining the historic relationship between labour and the environment and move on to an examination of how workers and the issue of class has been both included and excluded in the mainstream environmental discourse. We will think critically about the intersection of labour and the environment and how this informs responses to a warming world.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

The course will draw on students' experiences and research, and we will develop research, writing, and presentation skills through the class assignments. In addition, lectures, tutorial discussions, films, and guest speakers will provide the tools we need to understand the increasingly complex world of work and the environment with a focus on climate change.

Upon successfully completing this course, students will: Gain an understanding of the major components the relationship between work and climate; Develop an understanding for the complex interactions between workers, the environment, and the geopolitical implications of climate change in particular for Canada. In addition students will be asked to engage in critical discussions on a number of important and controversial topics related to labour, the environment, and climate change.

Grading

  • Seminar participation 25%
  • Research paper outline 10%
  • Research topic presentation 20%
  • Research paper 45%

REQUIREMENTS:

All assignments in this course must be completed for a final grade to be assigned.  The Morgan Centre for Labour Studies follows SFU policy in relation to grading practices, grade appeals (Policy T 20.01) and academic honesty and misconducted procedures (S10.01-S10.04).  It is the responsibility of the students to inform themselves of the content of these policies available on the SFU website: http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/teaching.html.

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Gottlieb, R. (2005). Forcing the Spring: The Transformation of the American Environmental Movement (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: Island Press
ISBN: 978-1559638326

Klein, N. (2015). This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate. Toronto: Island Press.
ISBN: 978-0307402004

Lipsig-Mummé, C., & McBride, S. (2015). Work in a Warming World. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen’s University Press.
ISBN: 978-1553394327

Registrar Notes:

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://students.sfu.ca/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS