Course Outline
University of Windsor
Labour Studies 54-105
Professor: Mike Bratton
Lectures Mondays and Wednesdays 10-11:20 Chrysler Hall South RM#53
Office Hrs.: Fridays 11am-1pm or by appointment
Location: Chrysler Hall South, Room 256
Teaching Assistants: tba
Course Description:
This course will focus on the description and analysis of the changing nature of work in
the 21st century. The transformations in the labour market and the labour force will be
examined with an emphasis on the numerous causes and varied consequences of those
changes. Particular attention will be paid to the real life implications for both working
and out of work people. Labour will, necessarily, be examined in relation to social
policy and, ultimately, the larger social order. The role of trade unions, businesses, and
governments impacting the realities of contemporary working (and out of work) life in
the era of neoliberal globalization are themes that will resonate throughout this course
from start to finish.
An extraordinarily important and profound question that is relevant to everything we
examine in this course is posed by renowned sociologist, Wallace Clement, in the
foreword (p.vii) of our text: “What makes people available for work and work available
for people?” This course is designed to get students thinking about this question in order
to: 1.) have a more informed and humane understanding of the nature of the
contemporary world that transcends the lack of understanding that is quite common in
conventional public opinion and which often impacts public policy; and 2.) to get
students to use their experiential knowledge (life experience) to bring to life the issues we
address in the class.
Required Reading:
Good Jobs, Bad Jobs, No Jobs: The Transformation of Work in the 21st Century
Duffy, Gelenday & Pupo. Harcourt Brace & Company Canada Limited, 1997.
Course Grading:
All students must write the mid-term (20%), final (25%), and complete the assignment
due February 14 (20%). All students are also expected to participate in the weekly inclass group work. This will involve discussing (with colleagues) your views and
experiences with the labour and social issues we address in class, and having a group
representative orally report back to the class (15%).
Students must choose ONE of three options to complete the remaining (20%)
requirement for the course: 1.) a group presentation based on a selected chapter from the
text 2.) a book review from the list of books presented below; or 3.) creating a display,
exhibit, or reporting on the Windsor Labour Arts Festival Heritage Day (January 29th) .
(Students choosing option 3 should meet with me VERY early in the term to discuss this
option in detail). The Labour Arts Festival website is http://labourartsfest.tripod.com
Mid-Term
Final (Tuesday, April 19 at 08:30am)
Group Presentation OR Book Review
(March 21) OR Labour Arts Festival Exhibit (Jan.29)
Assignment (due February 14th)
In-Class Group Work
20%
25%
20%
20%
15%
Group Presentations: The class will break into groups of 3 to 5 people to prepare a
presentation (followed by a question period from the class) grounded in a chosen chapter
from the text. Groups will be assigned chapters to present on a first come first serve
basis. The length of presentations will vary based on the number of groups presenting
but each presentation will be no shorter than 45 minutes and no longer that 1 hour.
The purpose of the presentation will be to address the chapter to the class in a way that:
1.) demonstrates your group has absorbed and understands the content of the chapter and
what it is saying about the nature of contemporary work; 2.) can convey that
understanding to the class in a way that is both convincing and memorable; and 3.)
engages the class in analysis and discussion. * Note your group is welcome to agree or
disagree with the main arguments being put forth: what is of critical importance is that
your group understands (and can convey) what the argument is and can assess the
credibility of the evidence supporting the argument
Attendance at group presentations is mandatory for the class members who are not
presenting: several mid-term and final exam questions are going to be posed in such a
way that they will be very difficult to answer if you have missed a class presentation
Groups will be given a great deal of freedom about how they present their assigned
material. In preparing the presentation groups should go through the following steps:
1.) Determine what the most important aspect(s) of your assigned chapter are. What
is the author saying? What is at the heart of the author’s argument? What
conclusion(s) is the author drawing? What is the evidence supporting these
conclusions? Your group will hand in a brief 1 page summary addressing these
questions prior to presenting.
2.) How can we, as a group, effectively present what we deem to be the most
important features of the author’s work to the rest of the class in a way that the
class is likely to remember? Can we convey how the implications of the
conclusions that are being drawn impact the daily living realities of working
and/or non working people?
There are numerous presentation formats (and tools) that can be utilized by themselves or
in combination with one another. Groups can utilize any of the following presentation
styles or tools: standard lecture, role play (followed by discussion), interactive seminar,
power point presentation, debate, workshop, video footage from a newscast or movie
(followed by discussion), music, poetry, or personal stories.
While creativity is strongly encouraged, groups may choose to present conventionally if
they so desire. To reiterate, the three most important criterion that will be considered in
the grading of the presentation are i.) that the group demonstrates that they have
thoroughly understood the chapter they are presenting and ii) can present their thorough
understanding to the class in a powerful way. iii.) can engage the class in a discussion
and question period following their presentation in a manner that reinforces the groups
knowledge of the subject matter they are presenting.
I have several sources on giving effective presentations and will make these available to
group members who wish to consult them.
Assignment: Due February 14th
The purposes of this assignment are to: i.) demonstrate that you thoroughly understand
an important concept that is relevant to contemporary working life; ii.) can locate an
article relevant to that concept; and iii.) can apply your knowledge of the chosen concept
and integrate that knowledge into an analysis of your chosen article.
FOLLOW THESE STEPS TO COMPLETE THIS ASSIGNMENT
Preliminary Step 1: Choose one concept or term from the glossary of your text (p.244249). Carefully read and re-read how the concept or term is defined in the glossary so
that you clearly understand of what the concept means. Read about how this concept is
applied in your text.
Preliminary Step 2: Find a newspaper, magazine, journal, or web article that relates to
your selected concept. (Copy or print the chosen article as you will be handing it in with
this assignment).
Section 1:
Definition: In the first paragraph define the concept in your own words (approximately
two to four sentences)
Section 2:
In the second paragraph describe the main theme of your chosen article. Concisely
summarize what the author(s) are saying (approximately three to five sentences)
Section 3: State how and/or why your chosen concept relates to your chosen article
(approximately two to four sentences)
Section 4: Using the knowledge you have gained from course readings and/or lectures
and/or class presentations critically analyze the article. Do you agree or disagree with the
author(s)? Why? What are the likely social and/or political implications of the article for
contemporary working life? (Five to Ten sentences)
Section 5: Discuss why you chose the particular concept or term that you did and why
this concept or term is of interest to you as an academic and/or as a person. ** (Five to
Ten sentences).
** Be sure to take the time in the early planning stages of this assignment to select a
concept that truly is of interest to you (you have 80 to choose from!) because this will
make this project more meaningful for you and, in all probability, produce higher quality
work.
Book Review: Due March 21st
Students who choose not to participate in a group presentation or in the Labour Arts
Festival will be required to produce an 8 to 10 page book review which analyzes and
applies the theme(s) of the book to the substantive content of the course. Questions that
each book review must address are:
1. What is the main message (or messages) the author is attempting to convey?
2. What evidence does the author present to make their case? How compelling is
this evidence? Do you agree or disagree with the author? Why?
3. How does this author’s work relate to what you have learned in this Labour
Studies class?
Students may choose to review any of the following four books:
Burman, Patrick
Poverty’s Bonds: Power and Agency in the Social Relations of Welfare
Chomsky, Noam
The Prosperous Few and the Restless Many
Hargrove, Buzz (with Wayne Skene)
Labour of Love: The Fight to Create a More Humane Canada
Newman, Katherine S.
No Shame in My Game: The Working Poor in the Inner City
Class Schedule (tentative)
Week 1:
Course Review/Introduction
What is Labour Studies and Why is it Important?
Documentary: “Roger & Me” (Michael Moore)
Week 2:
Chapter 1 “Lost Horizons, Leisure Shock:
Good Jobs, Bad Jobs, Uncertain Future”
Daniel Glenday
Group 1 presentations
Week 3:
Chapter 2 “From Cars to Casinos, from Work to Workfare:
The Brave New World of Canadian Employment”
Jamie Swift
Group 2 presentations
Week 4
Chapter 3 “The Casualization of the Labour Force”
Dave Broad
Guest Lecture: “Restructuring in the Automotive Industry”
Dale Spencer (MA Candidate)
Group 3 presentations
Week 5
Chapter 4 “Technology and the Deskilling of Work:
The Case of Passenger Agents at Air Canada”
Vivian Shalla
Group 4 presentations
Week 6
Chapter 5 “The Impact of Teleworking on Canadaian Employment”
Kay Stratton Devine et al
Group 5 presentations
READING WEEK
Week 7
Midterm (In Class)
Chapter 6 “Health Care, Hospitals, and Reengineering:
The Nightingales Sing the Blues.”
Jerry White
Week 8
Group 6 presentations
Chapter 7 “Always Working, Never Done:
The expansion of the Double Day”
Norene Pupo
Week 9
Group 7 presentations
Chapter 8 “The Part-Time Solution:
Toward Entrapment or Empowerment?”
Ann Duffy
Week 10
Group 8 presentations
Chapter 9 “Changes in the Patterns of Unemployment:
The New Realties of Joblessness.”
Patrick Burman
Week 11
Group 9 presentations
Chapter 10 “Living in the Credential Gap:
Responses to Underemployment and Underqualification”
David W. Livingstone
Week 12
Group 10 presentations
Guest Lecturer: Tamara Ferron (M.A. Candidate) “Racism and
Discrimination in the Contemporary World of Work”
FINAL EXAM April 19th 8:30am
ences
Plagiarism and Examination Make-up Policies
(This Policy will be appended to all course outlines in the College of Arts and Human Sciences)
1. Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a serious academic offense because it dishonestly and fraudulently uses someone
else’s work as one’s own. Students are to be evaluated on the basis of their own original work. In the
preparation of essays, papers, reports, and any other types of assignments, students must necessarily rely
on the work of others. However, it is imperative that the source of any ideas, wording, or data obtained from
others be disclosed and properly acknowledged by citations, quotation marks, and bibliographic references
in the proper format. Using the work of others without acknowledgement is plagiarism. Plagiarism includes,
but is not limited to:
a) Using a passage or passages of any length from published or unpublished work of others
without placing the passage(s) in quotation marks (or using indentation for long quotation(s)) and
acknowledging their source;
b) Submitting work as original when that work also has been or is currently being submitted for
another course, unless prior permission has been given in writing;
c) Copying material, for example, from the Internet, or purchasing material and submitting it as
one’s own;
d) Submitting work completely or largely identical to that of other students, unless group work and
joint submissions are explicitly permitted by the instructor.
In cases of plagiarism, the instructor assigns a grade of 0 (F-) to the work in question, and may
assign an F- for the entire course. This will be decided in consultation with the AAU head or
designate. If an instructor determines that plagiarism has occurred, the student shall be informed
and the case reported to the Executive Dean of the College. Disciplinary proceedings may be
initiated pursuant to Senate Bylaw 31, which could result in suspension or expulsion from the
University in cases of repeated plagiarism. Students will not be allowed to re-write or re-submit
work to compensate for grades assigned as a result of plagiarism. Students can appeal a
plagiarism grade to the AAU head or designate and/or to the Administrative Dean of Student and
Academic Services, and ultimately to a judicial review panel at the University.
2. Exam Policy
The Policy of the College of Arts and Human Sciences is not to allow make-ups for scheduled
tests, midterms, or final exams, nor to assign a grade of Incomplete without acceptable and
verifiable medical (or equivalent compassionate) reason. Acceptable reasons might include
hospital stays, serious illness, family emergencies (like serious accidents or illnesses, death) or
similar circumstances. Normally, written documentation stating specific reasons and dates is
required. Arrangements for make-up exams--if allowed by the instructor--must be made as soon as
possible. The instructor establishes the date and format for make-up exams, which will usually
differ from the original exam.
Plagiarism Policy: May, 1999
Released: July 9, 1999 (Supersedes previously distributed information)