OOOObbbbeeeerrrrlllliiiinnnn CCCCoooolllllllleeeeggggeeeeDDDDeeeeppppaaaarrrrttttmmmmeeeennnntttt ooooffff PPPPoooolllliiiittttiiiiccccssssPPPPoooolllliiiittttiiiiccccssss 333311114444:::: SSSSeeeemmmmiiiinnnnaaaarrrr:::: LLLLaaaabbbboooorrrr iiiinnnn tttthhhheeee GGGGlllloooobbbbaaaallll EEEEccccoooonnnnoooommmmyyyySpring 2004Professors Marc Blecher and Steve CrowleyMarc Blecher:Rice 224; phone: [email protected] hours: Tuesday & Thursday, 3:00-4:30Steve Crowley:Rice 211; phone: [email protected] hours: Wednesday,1:30-3:00 and by appointment Class meets Wednesday,7-9 PM, King 325How have workers fared under the latest developments of capitalism in Asia,Eastern Europe and Russia, and Latin America? How have they been affected by globalization?What changes have occurred on the shopfloor, in incomes, in labor markets, and incommunities? What difference has politics made in cushioning or exacerbating theseeffects? How have workers responded, economically and politically? These are the questionsthat motivate inquiry in Politics 314.Politics 314: Labor in the Global Economy Page 2The seminar will involve reading and discussing a number of different perspectivesand debates about labor under late twentieth and early twenty-first century capitalism,the impact of globalization on labor around the world, and the conflict these processeshave generated. Through these readings and discussions we will jointly explore and debateideas, hypotheses and theoretical models that should prove fruitful in writing yourresearch paper. Since this is a seminar, we expect you to complete the weekly reading andcome to class prepared to discuss the issues raised.The first nine sessions will involve critical discussion of the readings. By theend of Tuesday before each class, you are to post comments and at least two discussionquestions about the week’s reading on our seminar’s Blackboard discussion board. Thesewill form the basis for our discussions and are essential for the success of that enterprise.Then on each Wednesday before class, take a few moments to log in to the discussionboard to read what everyone has written. You can find Blackboard at: http://bb.oberlin.edu/FAQ for students can be found at: http://www.oberlin.edu/OCTET/Bb/FAQ_Students.htmThe extended research paper (approximately 20-25 pages) will comprise a majorpart of the course. To make completing the paper more manageable, we will break theresearch and writing into a number of components, according the following schedule:- a meeting with one of us to define a topic sometime before class meeting of March10.- a 1-2 page proposal for your research topic, which should include a statement ofyour research question(s); justification of the topic in terms of its interest andimportance; any anticipated problems and proposed solutions, due March 17.- an annotated bibliography, which identifies and evaluates a variety of researchmaterials, due March 24.- a 1-2 page introduction to your paper, including your thesis statement, due April 2.- a detailed outline of your paper, due April 14.- a meeting with the instructor to discuss your progress something during the week ofApril 19.- a draft of your paper, due April 28.- a presentation of your “works in progress” to the class; the last three sessions willbe devoted to these presentations and discussion of your papers in progress.- the final paper, along with your draft(s) and the other above materials, will be dueMay 14 (the last day permitted by College regulations).Politics 314: Labor in the Global Economy Page 3We will evaluate your work according to the following weighting:Class participation, including your regular postings to the Blackboard discussion board and the presentation to the class 50%Research paper 50%PPPPlllleeeeaaaasssseeee ttttaaaakkkkeeee ccccaaaarrrreeeeffffuuuullll nnnnooootttteeee ooooffff tttthhhheeeesssseeee pppprrrrooooppppoooorrrrttttiiiioooonnnnssss.... They reflect our conviction that the dailyprocess of participating in the course by reading, thinking and contributing to everyoneelse’s learning in discussion is as important to your learning as the paper you will write. Inthe past students who assumed that the paper was their only responsibility for thecourse were unpleasantly surprised at the end of the semester. Please purchase the following books, which are available from the OberlinCollege bookstore:Hagen Koo, Korean Workers: The Culture and Politics of Class FormationKim Moody, Workers in a Lean WorldDani Rodrik, Has Globalization Gone Too Far?SSSScccchhhheeeedddduuuulllleeee ooooffff CCCCllllaaaasssssssseeeessss,,,, TTTTooooppppiiiiccccssss,,,, RRRReeeeaaaaddddiiiinnnnggggssss aaaannnndddd AAAAssssssssiiiiggggnnnnmmmmeeeennnnttttssssFebruary 12: IntroductionFebruary 19: Labor and GlobalizationChris Tilly and Charles Tilly, Work Under Capitalism, chapters 1-2Charles Tilly, “Global Flows of Labor and Capital,” International Labor and WorkingClass History, Spring 1995Jeffrey Harrod, Power, Production, and the Unprotected Worker, pp. 183-233Workers in an Integrating World, World Development Report 1995 (World Bank) overview,chapters 1-2Kim Moody, Workers in a Lean World, chapter. 2-3February 26: The Debate over SweatshopsMichael Piore, “The Economics of the Sweatshop” in Andrew Ross, ed., No Sweat:Fashion, Free Trade and the Rights of Garment WorkersNicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn, “Two Cheers for Sweatshops,” New York TimesMagazine, Sept. 24, 2000Jeffrey Harrod, Power, Production, and the Unprotected Worker, part 2 and chapter 4Jeremy Seabrook, In the Cities of the South, chapters 1-3, 6Politics 314: Labor in the Global Economy Page 4March 3: Labor in MexicoDan La Botz, Mask of Democracy, chapters 1-2; 4, 7 and ConclusionJohn Audley et.al., NAFTA’s Promise and Reality: Lessons from Mexico for the Hemisphere(on e-res)United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America, “Mexican Labor Year inReview”, http://www.ueinternational.org/Mexico_info/mlna_articles.php?id=67#222Worker Rights Consortium, “Investigation Re Complaint Against Kukdong (Mexico)Preliminary Findings And Recommendations, January 24, 2001” (on E-res)Worker Rights Consortium, “Investigation Re: Complaint Against Kukdong (Mexico):Report And Recommendations, June 20, 2001”, pp. 1-14 (on E-res)Centro de Apoyo al Trabajador, “La Lucha Sigue: Stories from the People of theKukdong