Case study of labor or social movement
Those who study the labor movement are interested in both real-world events and big ideas. But bridging the gap between day-to-day reality and abstract, theoretical thought sometimes poses a challenge. A case study is a conceptual tool that may make this process easier. A case study is a detailed investigation of a particular event or series of events that serve to illuminate or make claims about a larger social problem. It is grounded in actual, really-occurring practices while also gesturing toward broader theoretical concerns.
Your task is to develop a case study centered on a key debate, conflict, or struggle in a contemporary social movement, including but not confined to the US labor movement. For the purpose of simplicity and brevity, we recommend that you confine your case study to a narrow and clearly-defined time period, and limit your focus to a single instance involving a small number of competing perspectives. A strike or a contract dispute often works well since the actors are clearly defined and their disagreements are explicitly demarcated. Most of your research will be drawn from primary source materials (newspaper articles, websites, flyers, pamphlets, press releases). You should also consult secondary sources relevant to your topic (scholarly articles, books). In addition, your research must include an element of fieldwork. This can take a number of forms -- we're defining fieldwork very broadly here. A partial list of acceptable fieldwork activities would include attending a meeting, participating in a demonstration, conducting an interview, walking a picket line, or visiting a worksite.
Before beginning work on this project, you must submit a proposal briefly describing your topic along with a preliminary list of sources. This should be submitted, preferably in hard copy, by November 23rd. I will respond to your proposal either by giving you a go-ahead OR by asking you to re-tweak your proposal. In very rare cases, proposals are rejected entirely, but if you follow this guideline sheet closely, you can avoid that unfortunate outcome. Paper proposals will not be graded, but they are required.
Because it is a case study, your paper should be analytical, not merely descriptive. In other words, don't just summarize recent events -- explain why they happened. A significant portion of your paper should be on the issues and ideas surrounding these events. In the course of your discussion, you will want to address some of the key themes covered in class. To that end, I've provided a quick reference guide to major themes from the course though this is not an exhaustive list, and you may choose to go in other directions depending on your topic.
Thematic Outline
This class begins from the premise that globalization and neoliberalism have profoundly altered the world of "work" and that workers' rights around the globe are fundamentally challenged. This has force...
