Technology in Industrial Relations

Catalog description

This doctoral-level course examines technology and technological change-be it the mechanization of coal mines or the recent onslaught of artificial intelligence-through the lens of work and employment research. Students will consume, critique, and produce theoretically-informed analyses of the interplay of technology and industrial relations structures and processes. While the class emphasizes a pluralist, multi-disciplinary approach, we will draw readings and inspiration from Marxist/critical perspectives as well as from the mainstream human resource management, organizational behavior, economics, and sociology literatures. In addition to developing a scholarly paper suitable for external peer review, students will draft a journal-style review of a freshly-published monograph in the intersection of technology and work and employment.