Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Summer 2020 - LBST 330 E100

Selected Topics in Labour Studies (3)

Labour Intermediaries

Class Number: 2176

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    May 11 – Aug 10, 2020: Tue, 5:30–8:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Instructor:

    Laya Behbahani
    lbehbaha@sfu.ca
    Office Hours: Tu 16:30-17:20, or by appointment

  • Prerequisites:

    Strongly Recommended: LBST 101 and/or 301.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Selected topics in areas not currently offered within the undergraduate course offerings. Students may take more than one offering of LBST Selected Topics courses for credit, as long as the topic for each offering is different.

COURSE DETAILS:

Global trade is increasingly dominated by the complex and circuitous routes followed by goods and services as they are upgraded into finished products. Value chains administered by transnational corporations account for 80 per cent of the $20 trillion in trade each year. This course discusses the strategies of transnational corporations as actors orchestrating global supply chains, as well as their impact on labour relations worldwide. It looks at regulatory frameworks for trade and investment, and explores whether global supply chains contribute to development. After presenting the major decent work gaps in today’s global supply chains, the course will look at the existing governance framework and its gaps, focusing each week on one region of the world. The course will explore the role of labour intermediaries in the global political economy, highlighting governance gaps and examining the potential strategies and tools for an alternative governance structure that promotes sustainable development and decent work in global supply chains.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

We begin by critically engaging concepts such as decent work, labour intermediaries and value chains in the global political economy. The impacts of law and policy development are considered in relation to international trade, focusing on the role of labour intermediaries in global supply chains. We will pay close attention to questions of gender, race, and inequality in the construction and reproduction of international markets, as well as to the role of various agents and social movements in contesting and reinforcing these relations. We will aim to critically reflect on contemporary narratives about the public policy concerning labour intermediaries in order to arrive at a socially nuanced global political economy explanation of labour.

Grading

  • Creative project 20%
  • In-class pop quizzes 5%
  • Research paper proposal 10%
  • Research paper 40%
  • Presentation 15%
  • Participation 10%

NOTES:

Grading: Where a final exam is scheduled and the student does not write the exam or withdraw from the course before the deadline date, an N grade will be assigned. Unless otherwise specified on the course syllabus, all graded assignments for this course must be completed for a final grade other than N to be assigned. An N is considered as an F for the purposes of scholastic standing.

Grading System: The Undergraduate Course Grading System is as follows:

A+ (95-100) | A (90-94) | A- (85-89) | B+ (80-84) | B (75-79) | B- (70-74) | C+ (65-69) | C (60-64) | C- (55-59) | D (50-54) | F (0-49) | N*
*N standing to indicate the student did not complete course requirements

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

Universal Access Remote learning for this semester requires a computer or tablet, camera, and internet access. Most laptops and desktops are running OSX and Windows. Tablets may be Android, iOS or Windows based. Headsets are advised but not necessary. Note that students have access to free Office 365 or Adobe Creative Cloud found here.

REQUIRED READING:

All required readings will be available electronically on Canvas.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/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

TEACHING AT SFU IN SUMMER 2020

Please note that all teaching at SFU in summer term 2020 will be conducted through remote methods. Enrollment in this course acknowledges that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need class or exam accommodations, including in the current context of remote learning, are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112) as soon as possible to ensure that they are eligible and that approved accommodations and services are implemented in a timely fashion.