Labor in the Global Economy

Catalog description

This course examines laborers in the global economy and the economic, political, and social forces that shape worker experiences of precarity and empowerment. We will study the global division of labor, experiences of work, and how workers claim rights. The course is divided into three main learning units. In Unit 1, Theorizing Labor in the Global Economy, we will discuss how the changing global political economy, including the consolidation of corporate power in global commodity chains, enables regimes of precarious work. In Unit 2, Vulnerable Workers, we will examine specific groups in different context across the globe and their experiences of both exploitation and empowerment in the workplace, including child workers, migrant workers, women, and agricultural workers. In Unit 3, Resistances and Solutions, we will examine and compare different proposed solutions to worker vulnerability, including 'top-down' initiatives such as corporate social responsibility campaigns and voluntary sustainability standards, and 'bottom-up' approaches such as workers' centers and worker-led social responsibility. Invited guest speakers who represent and work with workers around the world will provide their perspectives on key topics to enhance student learning of contemporary events in this field. Students will have the opportunity to deepen their knowledge through writing assignments including case studies of workers and worker movements, a blog connecting concepts learned in class to news stories from around the work about labor, and take-home essays. This is a discussion-based course and students are expected to contribute actively to the learning community. Many examples discussed in class will be from companies in the agri-food system.