Summer 2018 - LBST 330 E100
Selected Topics in Labour Studies (3)
Class Number: 1149
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
May 7 – Aug 3, 2018: Tue, 5:30–8:20 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Benjamin Anderson
bja19@sfu.ca
Office: AQ 6218
Office Hours: Tuesdays, 15:30-17:00
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Prerequisites:
Strongly Recommended: LBST 101 and/or 301.
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
The study of issues related to work and/or trade unions not offered in regular courses. Students who have completed special temporary topics course LBST 389 cannot complete this course for further credit when it is offered as "Studying Labour Through Film."
COURSE DETAILS:
We all do it. Most of us either hate it or obsess over it. Waged work has been a constant in everyday life since the advent of capitalism and in every generation, commentators make a point of telling us just how good we have it compared to previous epochs. Maybe we really do have it better (although we will debate this), but does this necessarily mean that we have it good?
This semester we will examine the contours of the contemporary world of work, from the privileged autonomy of high-paid tech workers to the squalor and desperation of the faceless masses who produce the riches of our consumer society. We all work but not all work is created equal. In this special seminar, students will be challenged to think critically about their own positionalities both as workers and as beneficiaries of the global networks of production and consumption. Beginning with the transition from Fordism to post-Fordism, we will explore the transformation of centralized industrial production to the networked value chains that characterize production in contemporary capitalism. We will then consider how theses massive shifts in the global political economy have influenced working people and the work that they do. We will explore labour migrations, the siphoning of wealth and resources from the global south to the global north, and the emergence of new forms of work – informational, creative, artisanal and beyond.
COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:
The main objective of this seminar is to provoke critical thought about the world we have inherited and continue to create through our productive activities. We will diagnose the political economic transformations that have complicated and flexibilized working arrangements in the 21st century and we will work to situate ourselves within this milieu. We will challenge ourselves to forge new political horizons and to develop a critical lens through which we can see ourselves and our society.
Grading
- Attendance and participation 10%
- Short paper 10%
- Midterm exam 25%
- Group presentation 20%
- Final paper proposal 5%
- Final paper 30%
NOTES:
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 students to inform themselves of the content of these policies available on the SFU website: http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/teaching.html.
All students are expected to read SFU’s policies concerning academic honesty and student conduct (S 10.01 - S10.04). The policies can be read at this website: www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student.html.
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
All course readings will be made available electronically through Canvas or via email.
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