Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2026 - LBST 201 OL01

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

Class Number: 3279

Delivery Method: Online

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Online

  • Instructor:

    Maureen Kihika
    mkihika@sfu.ca
    Office Hours: TBA via Zoom

  • Prerequisites:

    Strongly Recommended: LBST 101.

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 230 under the title "Workers and Global Capitalism" or "Work and Employment in a Globalized World" and IS 221 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.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concept of global labour studies.
- Conceptualize relationships between development, globalization, and labour
- Understand different contexts of paid and unpaid work and their association to capitalism
- Show familiarity with the importance and impact of processes like migration and global financial integration.
- Identify and apply interdisciplinary approaches including political economic, sociological, livelihood perspectives to analysing global labour dynamics.
- Find sources and conduct research on labour dynamics in different regions.

Grading

  • Paper Proposal & Annotated Bibliography 20%
  • Take-home mid-term exam 20%
  • Group Podcast presentation 20%
  • Weekly student discussions & participation 10%
  • Final Essay 30%

NOTES:

This syllabus is provisional and may be subject to minor changes. Students will be notified in advance should these arise.

Grading: Where a final exam is scheduled and the student does not write the exam or withdraws 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 A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D, F, N (N standing indicates student did not complete course requirements). Intervals for the assignment of final letter grades based on course percentage grades are 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)
  • NB// The link to the course library guide and book (are at the bottom of this page): https://www.lib.sfu.ca/help/research-assistance/subject/labour-studies/lbst201workersintheglobaleconomy
  • 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

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.