Fall 2022 - LBST 330 D100

Selected Topics in Labour Studies (3)

Action and Change

Class Number: 3553

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 7 – Dec 6, 2022: Thu, 11:30 a.m.–2:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Instructor:

    Evelyn Encalada Grez
    eencalad@sfu.ca
    1 778 782-3657
    Office: AQ 6081
    Office Hours: Thursday 10:00 - 11:00 (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:

Course Topic: Action and Change: Community-Labour Organizing 101

This course explores community-labour organizing strategies and theories that workers and communities have formulated to effect social change throughout the globe. Moving beyond the formal labour movement, we will turn our focus to marginalized workers and communities who have turned to one another to amplify their power and fight against diverse forms of injustices and exploitation. This is a hands-on course that will involve students to work collectively and individually to develop their organizing and critical analysis skills as community-labour organizers and labour scholars through popular education and a decolonial praxis. Guest speakers organizing for social change at the frontlines will form an integral part of the course curriculum.

Following the tenants of learning collectively for social change, this course will be run as a participatory seminar where the instructor will assume the role of facilitator. Rather than top-down lectures we will all work together to clarify concepts, theoretical frameworks and explore different aspects of an issue based on our knowledge and critical thinking capacities. All of this means that for the course to be successful, students must be engaged, ready to participate and share their ideas in relation to the readings and the issues at hand.

Readings are intended to be as manageable as possible. However, some weeks’ readings are heavier than others. Students are expected to attend all seminars and to be fully prepared for discussions and take responsibility for their own learning. A handout with readings and discussions prompts will be made available in canvas to guide engagement throughout the semester.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

By the end of the course students will be able to …

  • Situate themselves in the historical process of change
  • Identify various strategies and movements that have accomplished fundamental change
  • Map power structures and social problems to develop a plan for action and solutions
  • Explain key theories of social change
  • Apply various theoretical and educational tools to work with and in community   

Grading

  • Personal-Political Journal Reflection 15%
  • End of Course Journal Reflection 15%
  • Seminar engagement 20%
  • Group Project Proposal 10%
  • Group Project Write Up and Analysis 25%
  • Group Project Presentation 15%

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 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:

All materials will be made available electronically via the SFU library and canvas.


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