SOCI 560 Labor and Globalization

Transcription

1 SOCI 560 Labor and Globalization Fall 2011 Wednesdays, 9:35 11:25 Leacock 819 Professor: Marcos Ancelovici Office: Leacock 728 Phone: Office Hours: Thursdays, 10am 12pm. COURSE DESCRIPTION: Although globalization that is, the trend toward a globally integrated market for capital goods, services, and labor has been a buzzword for almost two decades, it remains poorly understood and too often subject to simplistic, Manichean dichotomies. Globalization is neither good nor bad for the very simple reason that its consequences are multi dimensional. Its effects are not only very difficult to isolate and track down empirically but also vary across economic sectors, countries, and regions. The key is often how globalization interacts with local and national institutions and how actors respond to it. Insofar as globalization is not a linear, inevitable process but the product of socio political and economic interactions, we will look not only at its effects but also at how organized labor has been responding to it as well as recent efforts aimed at developing new forms of transnational regulation and re embed the market in redistributive social arrangements. COURSE REQUIREMENTS: 1) Weekly Readings: This is a reading intensive course. All students are expected to complete weekly readings so as to have a better grasp of the subject matter and participate in class discussions. The following required books are available at the university bookstore and on reserve at the library: a) Mark S. Anner, Solidarity Transformed: Labor Responses to Globalization and Crisis in Latin America (Cornell UP, 2011). b) Teri L. Caraway, Assembling Women: The Feminization of Global Manufacturing (Cornell UP, 2007). c) Jill Esbenshade, Monitoring Sweatshops: Workers, Consumers, and the Global Apparel Industry (Temple UP, 2004).

2 d) Paul Hirst, Grahame Thompson, and Simon Bromley, Globalization in Question (Polity, 2009; 3 rd ed.) e) Layna Mosley, Labor Rights and Multinational Production (Cambridge UP, 2011). f) Gay W. Seidman, Beyond the Boycott: Labor Rights, Human Rights, and Transnational Activism (Russell Sage Foundation, 2007). In addition to these books, there are required articles in PDF format that can be downloaded from the course website. 2) Class Discussion: Insofar as this is a seminar rather than a lecture, class discussion will be a central element. No discussion, no class. We will not have time to discuss every single point of the readings. We will focus instead on the main contributions of each reading; the goal is not to do an exegesis but to compare and contrast the different theories, approaches, and findings, and assess their value added (epistemic gain and explanatory leverage). Your contribution to class discussion will be evaluated on the basis of Participation and Reaction. 2.1) Participation: All students are expected to attend class regularly and participate in class discussions. Participation will count for 10% of the final course grade. 2.2) Reaction: All students are required to write brief weekly reactions to the readings. Comments/questions can either focus exclusively on one particular reading or compare readings and draw parallels. Reactions should be 150 word long and ed to me by 6pm on Tuesday at the latest. I will then copy and paste all Reactions on a single document and send them to the entire class. All students are expected to read everybody s Reaction before class. The first Reaction will be due on Tuesday September 20. Reactions will not be graded. By simple virtue of sending out your Reaction on time, you will get 1%, for a total of 10% of the final course grade. 3) Papers: 3.1) Review Paper: All students are expected to write one review paper during the term. Review papers should be structured and written like a book review that one can read in academic journals (e.g., Contemporary Sociology) and between 750 and 1,000 word long double spaced. See the Appendix at the end of the syllabus for guidelines. 2

3 B.A. students must write the paper on one of five books discussed in class (Hirst et al is not included). The paper must be handed in at the beginning of the class during which we are supposed to discuss the book. Late papers will not be accepted. M.A. and Ph.D. students must write the paper on a book of their choice not discussed in class and published within the last two years ( ). The book must focus on globalization (or responses to it) and should be related to the topic on which students are planning on writing their term paper. I will have to approve the book. Papers are due in class on Wednesday November 9 (late papers will be penalized: 2% a day). Students will receive feedback on their paper so that they can improve it and send it to a journal for publication. The Review Paper will count for 20% of the final course grade. 3.2) Term Paper: Each student will have to write a term paper. The latter can (1) examine the consequences of globalization in specific sector or country (or set of countries), (2) analyze socio political responses to globalization (at the local, national, transnational, or supranational level), or (3) assess the potential of new forms of transnational regulation. If your paper focuses on a topic discussed in class, you are expected to go beyond class discussions and readings. You must submit a one page proposal on October 19 and papers are due in the mailbox of the Sociology Department (Leacock 712) by Friday December 9 before 4pm (late papers will be penalized: 2% a day). Papers should be 20 pages, double spaced, with 2.5cm margins. The Term Paper will count for 60% of the final course grade. 4) Summary: Assignment Percentage Participation 10% Reactions 10% Review Paper 20% Term Paper 60% Total 100% * Make sure to include references to sources in your assignments and your proposal, even when paraphrasing. Failure to do so is plagiarism. McGill University values academic integrity. Therefore all students must understand the meaning and consequences of cheating, plagiarism and other academic offences under the Code of Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures (see for more information). L'université McGill attache une haute importance à l'honnêteté académique. Il incombe par conséquent à tous les étudiants de comprendre ce que l'on entend par tricherie, plagiat et autres infractions académiques, ainsi que les conséquences que peuvent avoir de telles actions, selon le Code de conduite de l'étudiant et des procédures disciplinaires (pour de plus amples renseignements, veuillez consulter le site 3

4 * In accord with McGill University s Charter of Students Rights, students in this course have the right to submit in English or in French any written work that is to be graded. * In the event of extraordinary circumstances beyond the University s control, the content and/or evaluation scheme in this course is subject to change. COURSE OUTLINE 1) Overview of Course (September 7) Part I: The Nature and Consequences of Globalization 2) What Is Globalization? (September 14) Hirst et al, Globalization in Question (Polity, 2009). 3) Globalization and Labor Rights (September 21) Layna Mosley, Labor Rights and Multinational Production (Cambridge UP, 2011). * First Reaction due on Tuesday September 20 before 6pm 4) Globalization and Gender (September 28) Teri L. Caraway, Assembling Women (Cornell UP, 2007). 5) Globalization, Employment, and Inequality (October 5) Brian Burgoon and Damian Raess, Does the global economy mean more sweat? Trade, investment, migration and working hours in Europe, Socio Economic Review (2011): Saskia Sassen, Two Stops in Today s New Global Geographies: Shapping Novel Labor Supplies and Employment Regimes, American Behavioral Scientist Vol. 52 (2008): Sarah Babb, The Social Consequences of Structural Adjustment: Recent Evidence and Current Debates, Annual Review of Sociology Vol. 31 (2005): Robert Wade, Is Globalization Reducing Poverty and Inequality?, World Development Vol. 32 (2004):

5 Part II: Labor Responses to Globalization 6) Labor Responses in China (October 12) Beverly J. Silver and Lu Zhang, China as an Emerging Epicenter of World Labor Unrest, in Ho fung Hung, ed., China and the Transformation of Global Capitalism (Johns Hopkins UP, 2009): Pun Ngai, Putting transnational labour process in its place: The dormitory labour regime in post socialist China, Work, Employment, & Society Vol. 21 (2007): Ching Kwan Lee, From the Specter of Mao to the Spirit of the Law: Labor Insurgency in China. Theory & Society Vol. 31 (2002): Ching Kwan Lee, Livelihood Struggles and Market Reform: (Un)making Chinese Labour after State Socialism, Occasional Paper 2, United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (Geneva, Switzerland), 2005, 36 p. PunNgai, Chris King Chi Chan, and Jenny Chan, The Role of the State, Labour Policy and Migrant Workers Struggles in Globalized China, Global Labour Journal Vol. 1 (2009): ) Labor Responses in Latin America (October 19) Mark S. Anner, Solidarity Transformed (Cornell UP, 2011). * Paper Proposals are due in class 8) Labor Responses in Developed Countries (October 26) Kathleen Thelen, The Paradox of Globalization: Labor Relations in Germany and Beyond, Comparative Political Studies Vol. 36 (2003): Marcos Ancelovici, Globalization and the Politics of Trade Union Preferences, Unpublished Manuscript, Department of Sociology, McGill University, Tamara Kay, Labor Transnationalism and Global Governance: The Impact of NAFTA on Transnational Labor Relationships in North America, American Journal of Sociology Vol. 111 (2005): ) Labor Internationalism (November 2) Greg Flynn and Robert O Brien, An Internationalist Western Labour Response to the Globalization of India and China, Global Labour Journal Vol. 1 (2009): Peter Evans, Is it Labor s Turn to Globalize? Twenty first Century Opportunities and Strategic Responses, Global Labour Journal Vol. 1 (2010): * November 9: Guest speaker or movie/debate Review Papers are due in class (only for M.A. and Ph.D. students) 5

6 Part III: New Forms of Regulation, Old Debates 10) The Rise of Transnational Certification (November 16) Dara O Rourke, Outsourcing Regulation: Non Governmental Systems of Labor Standards and Monitoring, Policy Studies Journal Vol. 31 (2003): Tim Bartley, Institutional Emergence in an Era of Globalization: The Rise of Transnational Private Regulation of Labor and Environmental Conditions, American Journal of Sociology Vol. 113 (2007): Tim Bartley, Certification as a Mode of Social Regulation, Forthcoming in the Handbook of the Politics of Regulation, edited by David Levi Faur, 26 p. 11) Monitoring Multinational Firms (November 23) Jill Esbenshade, Monitoring Sweatshops: Workers, Consumers, and the Global Apparel Industry (Temple UP, 2004). 12) Bringing the State Back In? (November 30) Richard Locke, Matthew Amengual and Akshay Mangla, Virtue out of Necessity? Compliance, Commitment, and the Improvement of Labor Conditions in Global Supply Chains, Politics & Society Vol. 37 (2009): Gay W. Seidman, Beyond the Boycott (Russell Sage Foundation, 2007). * Friday December 9: Term Papers are due in the mailbox of the Sociology Department (Leacock 712) 6

7 APPENDIX: Guidelines for Review Paper 1 Reviews provide an opportunity to survey in a systematic way a book in which you are interested. Every non fiction book has certain architecture. A large argument is based upon the coherent linking together of several smaller arguments, each of which is argued through the exposition of some empirical findings that support the point. As you read, you should bear in mind four things: 1. What is the really big argument that the author is trying to make? 2. What are the smaller arguments that the author claims add up to the big argument? Are you convinced that the big picture is equal to the sum of these smaller arguments? 3. What types of evidence does the author provide to demonstrate his/her thesis? Are you convinced these data really prove the points claimed for them? Could you make a different point with the same data? 4. On what assumptions and paradigms does the author build? Where does he/she stand in current debates? Here is a potential structure for the paper: 1. Introductory paragraph. What is at stake here? Locate the work and the author in bigger debates and controversies. 2. Get to the point right away (about 1 2 paragraphs). What is the big point and why should we care? Quite often, the author of the book will tell you why they think you should care. If you are convinced, you can use their reasoning. 3. What are the smaller arguments that compose the book and the evidence that the author uses to make his/her case? (3 4 paragraphs). Enumerate them in a way that the reader can follow the plan of the book, but avoid a lengthy blow by blow account of its contents (such as: Chap. 1 covers A; Chap. 2 covers B; etc.). Present them in a way that the author would find fair. 4. Does it add up for you? (3 paragraphs). Are you convinced? State your criticism clearly and honestly (certainly do not be embarrassed to be critical), but try to remember that someone worked hard on this book. Avoid personal attacks and trivial polemics; be constructive. 5. Concluding paragraph. Here you can exit by returning to the biggest issues that are at stake and highlight the main contribution(s) of the book. Avoid ending with empty recommendations (e.g., More research is needed or I recommend this book to people who like books ). 1 Thanks to Eran Shor for suggestions. 7