Fall 2021

Work

Listed in: , as EDST-145  |  Political Science, as POSC-145

Faculty

Kristin Bumiller (Section 01)

Description

(Offered as POSC 145 and EDST 145) This course will explore the role of work in the context of American politics and society. We will study how work has been understood in political and social theory. We will also consider ethnographic studies that explore how workers experience their lives inside organizations and how workplaces transform in response to changing legal regulations. These theoretical and empirical explorations will provide a foundation for reflections about how work structures opportunities in democratic societies and how re-imagining work might unleash human potential. The course will ground these questions about the role of work in the context of American politics and society. At the broadest level we will ask: Do citizens in a liberal society have a right to engage in meaningful work and earn a living wage? What is the changing nature of work in a neoliberal society? What are the goals of the state in regards to the production of a future workforce? What are the impacts of employment discrimination, occupational segregation, and wage disparity based on race or gender?

Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Professor Bumiller.

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Group work, readings, written work, oral presentations. Students with documented disabilities who will require accommodations in this course should be in consultation with Accessibility Services and reach out to the faculty member as soon as possible to ensure that accommodations can be made in a timely manner.
POSC 145 - L/D

Section 01
M 01:30 PM - 02:50 PM SCCE D103
W 01:30 PM - 02:50 PM SCCE D103

This is preliminary information about books for this course. Please contact your instructor or the Academic Coordinator for the department, before attempting to purchase these books.

ISBN Title Publisher Author(s) Comment Book Store Price
Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do The New Press Studs Terkel Amherst Books TBD
Working law : courts, corporations, and symbolic civil rights University of Chicago Press Lauren B. Edelman Amherst Books TBD

These books are available locally at Amherst Books.

Offerings

2024-25: Not offered
Other years: Offered in Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Fall 2021