Why Work?

3 credits · Undergraduate

Work, as the journalist Studs Terkel once wrote, is a source of “daily meaning as well as daily bread.” It comes in many forms. There are careers, “callings,” or just-for-now jobs, which can be paid or unpaid, permanent or temporary, prestigious or menial, dangerous or boring. For some of us, work is an opportunity to “Do What You Love”; for others, the best part of work is the pay cheque. How we go about making a living is in some ways a personal choice, but it's also a social and political matter. In this course, students will learn how we make sense of work in all its forms. Topics covered may include: internships and precarious work, (de)industrialization, unions, generations and work, gender and work, labour market trends, professions, leisure, and the future of work. PREREQUISITES: One SOSA course at the 1000 level or FYP FORMATS: Lecture