Summer 2021 - LBST 308 D100
The Labour Process: Technological Change and the Future of Work (3)
Class Number: 4945
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
May 12 – Aug 9, 2021: Mon, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Benjamin Anderson
bja19@sfu.ca
Office Hours: Mo 12:30-13:30 via BB Collaborate Ultra/Zoom
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Prerequisites:
Strongly Recommended: LBST 101 and/or 301.
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
Technological change and globalization are constantly transforming the nature of work under capitalism. These transformations are examined in the historical development of work, the changing nature of the labour process and how automation and artificial intelligence might transform work in the future. Breadth-Social Sciences.
COURSE DETAILS:
The capitalist mode of production is commonly seen as a rationally organized extension of some kind of natural human progress. Mainstream economics extol the virtues of private enterprise assuming a level playing field and a general tendency for markets to benefit society as a whole. What these narratives ignore (or usher away through scientistic abstraction) is the productive human activity at the heart of production and the ways in which this human activity is both a crucial ingredient and key contradiction to the productive enterprise writ large. This course will challenge mainstream assumptions of the labour process by considering how the division of labour, the innovation of new managerial and technological processes, and the globalization of productive networks shape our collective working lives.
The course begins with an historical survey of the imperatives of the capitalist mode of production and the ways in which these led to the increasing need for a complex division of labour, first through industrial practices, later through the intensification and fragmentation of managerial procedure, and finally through a globally dispersed and gendered workforce. Through our readings and discussions, we will consider more than the advent of industrial technologies and automation, probing the work subjectivities and identities with which these intersect. Ultimately, our journey will be one that takes us from the rationalized spaces of high industry to the highly stratified global division of labour—from factory work to knowledge work and back again.
COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:
Students will be challenged to think critically about the complex and ever changing world of work especially as this relates to the intersections between technology and ideology.
Grading
- Participation and activities 10%
- Canvas discussions 10%
- Midterm exam 40%
- Final paper 40%
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
Academic Dishonesty and Misconduct Policy: The Labour Studies Program 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.
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:
All readings will be distributed digitally through Canvas or through email if circumstances require.
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 2021
Teaching at SFU in summer 2021 will be conducted primarily through remote methods, but we will continue to have in-person experiential activities for a selection of courses. Such course components will be clearly identified at registration, as will course components that will be “live” (synchronous) vs. at your own pace (asynchronous). Enrollment 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. To ensure you can access all course materials, we recommend you have access to a computer with a microphone and camera, and the internet. In some cases your instructor may use Zoom or other means requiring a camera and microphone to invigilate exams. If proctoring software will be used, this will be confirmed in the first week of class.
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).