HR410 People, Work and the Global Economy
People, Work and the Global Economy
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HR410 People, Work and the Global Economy
Introduction to the module:
Labour, networks and conflicts across the Global North and South, Brian Garvey
27th September University closed
Lecture 2
4 October
A critical lens on migrant employment and the concept of ‘free labour’ in the global economy: evidence from a
south‐south movement
Pratima Sambajee
Lecture 3
11 October
Deindustrialisation, pandemic and shifting standards of work
Guest Lecture, Richie Venton, Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers, UK
Lecture 4
18 October
Immigration and migrant work in the UK
Dennis Nickson
Lecture 5
25 October
Reading week
Lecture 6
1 November
“The pristine myth as pretext for territorial expropriation of forest peoples in Brazilian Amazonia”
Guest lecture, Bruna C. Rocha, Federal University of West Pará, Amazonia, Brazil
Lecture 7
8 November
Primary commodity chains, land and resource conflict: film viewing and question and answer session
Thaís Borges, Journalist and author, Amazon region of Brazil’ Ana Terra Reis, Landless Workers Movement
Introduction to group project assignment
Lecture 8
15 November
Financialisation, organisations, commodities and agrarian labour
Guest lecture, Maria Luisa Mendonça, City University New York
Lecture 9
22 November
Forced labour in a state-directed economy
Darren McGuire
Lecture 10
29 November
Review of first term, assignment feedback
Brian Garvey
People, Work and the Global Economy
What are we going to do?
Why are we going to do it?
How are we going to do it?
Course aims
The aim of the module is to provide students with knowledge and critical understanding of the
context and content of work, employment and organisation in a globalizing economy. The
module will complement and advance existing knowledge and understanding of employment
relations, new forms of industrial organization and range of responses to these by workers and
their communities across a range of settings.
Objectives
To examine current empirical developments and trends in the social organization of economic activity
in the context of developments in the international political economy
To provide understanding of the relevant theoretical debates and issues effecting employers and
employees, and broader social relations, in the global context.
To be able to discern the national, regional and international processes, models and institutions
effecting work and the organization of employment within the globalizing economy.
To understand contemporary changes to work and its organization across space and across
dimensions of gender, class, nationality, migration and race.
To develop a critical and reflective understanding of the nature of international human resource
management and competing models of organization, some of which may be driven by employees
rather than management.
To develop an appreciation of the impact of local histories, cultures and nation state decision making
on the practices of global organizations and acceptance of, or resistance to, their activities by labour
and social organisations.
Assessment
1 - An individual assignment with a choice from two questions.
The word limit is 3,000 words (not including references). The exam
is worth 35% of the final grade
2- Group project This will be undertaken in semester 2; however,
you will be introduced to the assignment and your groups in
semester 1. This forms 25% of the overall marks for this course.
3- Exam. The final exam will take place in April/May and forms
40% of the overall grade
Why this course?
The Personal-The work we do, in employment, at home, caring, working for others, self
employed dominates human activity – increasingly so
The local- How it is experienced is a result of a complex of social, human interactions and our
relation with nature and technology – increasingly so
The national- The organisation of these activities and interactions are influenced by powerful
actors in the economy, the political economy-increasingly so
The global- There are conflicts, regional tensions, economic and political uncertainties –
increasingly so
Globalisation means that affects us, choose how to deal with them, understand them to
consider solutions
How ? Approach to learning
Approach is inspired by Paulo Freire, Brazilian educator and author
“Leaders who do not act dialogically, but insist on imposing their decisions, do not organize the
people--they manipulate them”
“For apart from inquiry, apart from the praxis, individuals cannot be truly human. Knowledge
emerges only through invention and re-invention, through the restless, impatient, continuing,
hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world, and with each other.”
“No one is born fully-formed: it is through self-experience in the world that we become what we
are.”
“If you copy it means you are working without any real feelings” Billie Holliday
Source www.kentakepage.com
Values and expectations
As a course co-ordinator I aim to be:
Organised, receptive, attempting to balance various aspects of work and life, honest,
challenging, ethical
Punctual, prepared, flexible, available, fair
I trust you will be
Committed, present, interested, disciplined, argumentative, engaging, challenging, honest and
fair