Course: The Sociology of Labour Markets
Aim
This course caters to students who are interested in societal transformations within the advanced economies of contemporary capitalism. Seeing through the lens of the labour market, students will learn to think critically about the forces driving and constraining change, and our agency as actors to influence these developments within the context of the current economic crisis.
Course Description:
- The course begins by situating the origins of the labour market theoretically and historically through the work of classical and contemporary scholars.
- Focusing on present society, the course then explores the extent to which a 'new capitalism' of increased precariousness for labour market has emerged. The importance of globalisation and technological advances as drivers of these changes are examined in turn.
- Is the increasing precariousness of employment a natural consequence of our fast-changing world or are insecurities manufactured, emanating from neoliberal policy and the greater exposure of the economy to market forces? To stimulate debate on this question the course critically evaluates the effect of neoliberal labour market policies on workers in Denmark and Great Britain.
- An assessment of the current economic crisis and labour market reforms then provides a contemporary perspective on how this institutional embeddedness mediates the impact of changes in practice.
- Finally, the course explores the nature and extent of trade union resistance to labour market reforms at a time of crisis with particular attention given to communicative forms of action.
When: Spring 2013
Why: 10 ECTS and the opportunity for lively debate and discussion
Teaching Language: English
How: Sign up at https://sis.ku.dk/kurser/viskursus.aspx?knr=150127&bl=mba&rnd=554723
Lecturer: Torsten Geelan, Visiting Scholar at FAOS, University of Cambridge, UK Questions: email me at tkg22@cam.ac.uk