Summer 2017 - LBST 330 D200
Selected Topics in Labour Studies (3)
Class Number: 3049
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
May 8 – Aug 4, 2017: Thu, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
Burnaby -
Exam Times + Location:
Aug 12, 2017
Sat, 12:00–3:00 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Linda Elmose (sessional)
lelmose@sfu.ca
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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:
This course will explore the future of work, with a particular focus on identifying the causes (or “drivers”) and implications of the changing nature of work, its organization, and how labour market changes will require changes in strategies of both individual workers and labour organizations responding to profound changes. Taking on a multi-perspective approach, we will consider the projections of futurists—past and present—through the lenses of labour, political economy, economics, business, demographics and geopolitics.
The course is divided into three main sections. We will learn and apply methods to prognosticate, developing various scenarios on the future of work and the impacts on workers and people, nation-states, and labour organizations. Next we explore likely future, newfound, and vanishing jobs and industries, and consider the requisite skills, knowledge and aptitudes required by workers as we progress into the twenty-first century. To conclude, we will evaluate some solutions to potential problems facing future workers, inclusive of collaborative production, collective governance, enhanced education and human capital, networked technology in an open, sharing non-market system where people exercise real choice over their work.
COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Grading
- Participation & Reflections Journal 10%
- Team Project (case study or book review) 20%
- Mid-term (covers first half of course) 15%
- Research Essay (with abstract) 30%
- Final Exam (in class, covers second half of course) 25%
NOTES:
Where a final exam is scheduled and you do not write the exam or withdraw from the course before the deadline date, you will be assigned an N grade. Unless otherwise specified on the course outline, all other graded assignments in this course must be completed for a final grade other than N to be assigned.
Academic Dishonesty and Misconduct Policy
The Department of Sociology and Anthropology follows SFU policy in relation to grading practices, grade appeals (Policy T 20.01) and academic dishonesty and misconduct 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: http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student.html.REQUIREMENTS:
Participation in class discussions and in the inter-active lectures is highly valued and will be carefully assessed. Preparing your readings in advance of each class, as well as keeping apprised of what is going on in the “real world”, will assist you in garnering participation marks. There will also be pair/small team work and quizzes that will enable you to gain participation marks by working collaboratively. A reflections journal (about 5 entries of your choosing) will enable you to think critically about some of the issues we cover in class.
There are two assessments of your learning in the course, a mid-term (covering the materials and discussions from the first half of the course) and a final exam (covering the last half of the course). The team project will consist of your choice of a book review or a case study on a recent, relevant event/issue in labour studies, and consists of two parts: an oral presentation (ungraded) and a two-three-page short essay. The longer, final research essay’s length will total approximately 2500 to 3500 words (10-12 pages) and employ a minimum of eight academic or respectable sources (i.e. academic journal articles, book chapters, government or research institute report). To assist you in writing the research essay, you will first submit an abstract (300 words maximum) and an annotated bibliography of three sources you plan to use in the paper. All assignments in this course must be completed for a final grade to be assigned.
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
Required readings will be available through Canvas.
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