Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2022 - IS 221 D100

Workers in the Global Economy: Globalization, Labour and Uneven Development (3)

Class Number: 5285

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 7 – Dec 6, 2022: Thu, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
    Vancouver

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Explores how people experience paid and unpaid work in the global economy. Focuses on processes such as migration and economic structuring, and applies critical development studies and critical geopolitics to study labour and employment. Explores links between capitalism, urbanization and labour struggles. Examines labour internationalism and global labour rights. Students with credit for LBST 201 or LBST 230 under the title "Workers and Global Capitalism" may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Social Sciences.

COURSE DETAILS:

This course explores the relationship between development, globalization and labour. Using an interdisciplinary framework that will include historical and sociological analysis, critical development studies and geopolitical analysis, the course invites students to examine how the historical origins of violent labour regimes such as colonialism and slavery inform contemporary processes of globalization. While we will pay attention to the ways in which global historical processes perpetuate institutionalized hierarchies based on class, gender, ethnicity, citizenship status through paid and unpaid work, the course will also focus on how workers’ struggles against dynamic global forces shape global contemporary labour markets and production networks.

Through a comparative lens of different geographical regions and groups of workers, we will ask: how have globalization and global economic restructuring processes impacted the lives of workers and the idea of democracy? How have workers and workers’ organizations responded to the socio-cultural and geopolitical changes affecting work? How have these global processes facilitated workers organization of international labour solidarity and the coordination of unions and social movements, transnationally? The course will utilize lectures, readings, films/podcasts and student-led/instructor facilitated discussions.

Grading

  • Paper Proposal & Annotated Bibliography 25%
  • Mid-term Exam 30%
  • Weekly student led discussions 10%
  • Participation 5%
  • Final Essay 30%

NOTES:

Students will be required to submit their written assignments to Turnitin.com in order to receive credit for the assignments and for the course.

The School for International Studies strictly enforces the University's policies regarding plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty. Information about these policies can be found at: http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/teaching.html.

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

Academic Honesty and Student Conduct Policies: The Labour Studies Program follows SFU policy in relation to grading practices, grade appeals (Policy T 20.01) and academic honesty and student conduct procedures (S10.01‐S10.04). Unless otherwise informed by your instructor in writing, in graded written assignments you must cite the sources you rely on and include a bibliography/list of references, following an instructor-approved citation style. It is the responsibility of students to inform themselves of the content of SFU policies available on the SFU website.

Centre for Accessible Learning: Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need classroom or exam accommodations are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (1250 Maggie Benston Centre) as soon as possible to ensure that they are eligible and that approved accommodations and services are implemented in a timely fashion.

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Marcus Taylor and Sebastien Rioux (2017) Global Labour Studies. Polity.  (Available online through the SFU library)

Additional material will be available on Canvas or Library Course Page

RECOMMENDED READING:

Beverley Silver (2003) Forces of Labour. Cambridge University Press

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity website 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