Last updated: June 23, 2005 @ 11:17AM

Labour Studies

Director
June Corman, Department of Sociology

Participating Faculty
Jeffrey Boggs, (Geography),Jonah Butovsky (Sociology), June Corman, (Sociology), Ann D. Duffy (Sociology), Dan Glenday (Sociology), Heather Lee Kilty (Nursing), Felice Martinello (Economics), Carmela Patrias (History), Daniel Samson (History), Garth Stevenson (Political Science)

General Information

Administrative Assistant
Barb Alexander

905-688-5550, extension 4753
Mackenzie Chown D332
http://www.brocku.ca/labourstudies/

Our work determines how we spend many of our waking hours and it largely defines our position in society, our economic well-being and our self-image. It also defines the nature of our society and economy, since these are determined by the work efforts of individuals. Restructuring of the labour force, technological change, de-skilling, re-skilling, changing labour legislation, labour market segmentation, women's work and equality in the workplace are some of the issues that stimulate teaching and research in the Centre for Labour Studies.

Given the complex and multifaceted nature of work, Labour Studies adopts a multi disciplinary approach to its study. Labour Studies is a combined major program leading to a Pass BA degree. The program provides a social science perspective on the study of work with the participation of the departments of Economics, History, Political Science and Sociology. Students may earn a Concentration in Labour Studies by including Labour Studies and other approved courses, as part of their academic work leading to an Honours BA in Economics, Political Science or Sociology.

Program Notes
  1. At least one-half LABR credit must be from outside the student's disciplinary co-major.
  2. In all 20 credit degree programs, at least 12 credits must be numbered 2(alpha)00 or above, six of which must be numbered 2(alpha)90 or above and of these, three must be numbered 3(alpha)90 or above. In all 15 credit degree programs, at least seven credits must be numbered 2(alpha)00 or above, three of which must be numbered 2(alpha)90 or above.

Honours Program

Students wishing to major in Labour Studies must declare a combined major with either Economics, Political Science or Sociology.

Labour Studies and Economics

Consult the Economics entry for a listing of program requirements.

Labour Studies and Political Science

Year 1
·   LABR 1F90
·   one POLI credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99
·   ECON 1P91 and 1P92 or SOCI 1F90
·   one Humanities context credit
·   one Science context credit
Year 2
·   LABR 2P03 and 2P06
·   POLI 2F12 and 2P80
·   one of POLI 2P91, 2P92, 2P93
·   one LABR credit
·   one elective credit
Year 3
·   LABR 3P03, 3P06 and 3P13
·   two POLI credits numbered 2(alpha)90 to 3(alpha)99
·   one-half LABR credit
·   one elective credit
Year 4
·   LABR 4F90 or 4F91
·   LABR 4F92
·   two POLI credits
·   one elective credit (see program note 1)

Labour Studies and Sociology

Year 1
·   LABR 1F90
·   SOCI 1F90
·   ECON 1P91 and 1P92, or one POLI credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99
·   one Humanities context credit
·   one Science context credit
Year 2
·   LABR 2P03 and 2P06
·   LABR 2P32 or 2P34
·   one-half LABR credit
·   SOCI 2P11 and 2P13
·   one SOCI credit
·   one elective credit
Year 3
·   LABR 3P03 and 3P06
·   one LABR credit
·   SOCI 3P00 and 3P01
·   one SOCI credit numbered 2(alpha)90 or above
·   one elective credit
Year 4
·   LABR 4F90 or 4F91
·   LABR 4F92
·   two SOCI credits
·   one elective credit (see program note 1)

Pass Program

Satisfactory completion of the first three years of the Honours program entitles a student to apply for a Pass degree.

Certificate in Labour Studies

The Centre for Labour Studies offers a Certificate in Labour Studies designed for persons who already have a degree or do not wish to pursue a degree. The program consists of required courses with core concepts in Labour Studies and electives, where students cover Labour Studies topics in more detail. The admission requirements are the same as for the degree program.

The certificate is awarded upon completion of the following courses with a minimum 60 percent average.
·   LABR 1F90, 2P03 and 2P06
·   one credit from ECON 1P91 and 1P92, one POLI credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99, SOCI 1F90
·   two credits from LABR 2F98, 2P02, 2P15, 2P32, 2P34, 2P71, 2P73, 2P96,3P03, 3P06, 3P13, 3P24, 3P25, 3P30, 3P33, 3P34, 3P66, 3Q95, CHSC 3P40
See "Certificate Requirements" under Academic Regulations.

Concentration in Labour Studies

Students may earn a Concentration in Labour Studies by successfully completing the following courses as part of their academic work leading to an BA (Honours) in Economics, Political Science or Sociology:
·   LABR 1F90, 2P03, 2P06, 3P03 and 3P06
·   one credit from ECON 1P91 and 1P92, one POLI credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99, SOCI 1F90
·   two credits from LABR 2F98, 2P02, 2P15, 2P32, 2P34, 2P71, 2P73, 2P96, 3P13, 3P24, 3P25, 3P30, 3P33, 3P34, 3P65, 3P66, 3Q95, 3V95-3V99, 4P15, 4P32, 4P54, CHSC 3P40
The words "Concentration in Labour Studies" will be added to a student's official transcript when the student graduates with a BA (Honours) and completes the above listed requirements.

Minor Program

Students may complete a minor in Labour Studies by successfully completing the following courses as part of their academic work:
·   LABR 1F90, 2P03 and 2P06
·   LABR 3P03 or 3P06
·   one and one-half credits from LABR 2F98, 2P02, 2P15, 2P32, 2P71, 2P73, 2P96, 3P03, 3P06, 3P13, 3P24, 3P25, 3P30, 3P33, 3P34, 3P65, 3P66, 3P95, 3P98, 3P99, 4P15, 4P32, 4P54, CHSC 3P40

Departmental offerings which are Approved Labour Studies Credits

CHSC 3P40
Introduction to Health Issues in the Workplace.

Description of Courses

Note that not all courses are offered in every session. Refer to the applicable term timetable for details.

# Indicates a cross listed course
* Indicates primary offering of a cross listed course

Prerequisites and Restrictions

Students must check to ensure that prerequisites are met. Students may be deregistered, at the request of the instructor, from any course for which prerequisites and/or restrictions have not been met.
LABR 1F90
Changing Nature of Work and of Labour Relations
Critical issues facing Canadian workers. Basis for conflict; key issues such as the impact of economic restructuring and technological change for working people; occupational health and safety; pay and employment equity; occupational segregation by gender; changing work patterns; and union action. May include international comparisons.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Completion of this course will replace previous grade assigned in LABR 1P91 and 1P92.

LABR 2F98
Public Administration
(also offered as COMM 2F98 and POLI 2F98)
Political, legal and managerial dimensions of public administration. Topics include the structure and management of public organizations; government reform; political-bureaucratic relations; pressure groups; human resources and budgetary processes; the policy process; ethics and accountability.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one of LABR 1F90 (1P91 and 1P92), COMM 1F90, one POLI credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99 or permission of the instructor.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade in LABR (POLI) 3P50.

LABR 2P02
Economic Geography
(also offered as GEOG 2P02)
Theory and concepts of economic geography and the work of economic geographers. Organization of goods and services producing activities and their locational patterns. Overview of the geography of economic change in Canada and the United States since 1930.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: open to LABR, ENVI and GEOG (single or combined) majors until date specified in Registration guide.
Prerequisite: GEOG 1F90, LABR 1F90 (1P91 and 1P92) or permission of the instructor.

LABR 2P03
Labour Law and Labour Unions
(also offered as POLI 2P03)
Labour law and public policy relating to work and organized labour in provincial and federal jurisdictions; institutions in the labour market such as the Labour Relations Board; the structure and functioning of organized labour in Canada; labour law and union organization in other countries.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: LABR 1F90 (1P91 and 1P92), one POLI credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99 or permission of the instructor.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade in LABR 2F00.

LABR 2P06
Collective Bargaining
Bargaining simulation played by students assuming the role of union and management negotiators. Topics may also include a survey of the nature, determinants, and impact of collective bargaining in Canada; the procedural and substantive aspects of collective bargaining; grievance arbitration; and other dispute settlement procedures.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours a week.
Prerequisites: LABR 1F90 (1P91 and 1P92) or permission of the instructor.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade in LABR 2F00.

LABR 2P15
The Economics of Unions
(also offered as ECON 2P15)
Labour unions in the marketplace. How unions affect, and are affected by, the labour and product markets. Topics include the effects of unions on wages, fringe benefits, turnover, inequality, productivity and the profitability of firms; union behaviour; who belongs to unions and why; collective bargaining; strikes; interest arbitration; public-sector unionism.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisites: ECON 1P91 and 1P92.

LABR 2P32
In and Out of Work in the Global Economy
(also offered as SOCI 2P32)
Examination of paid and unpaid work in industrialized and industrializing countries. Topics may include patterns of un/under employment, peripheral employment, home-working, worker resistance.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: open to LABR and SOCI (single or combined) majors until date specified in the Registration guide.
Prerequisite: LABR 1F90 (1P91 and 1P92), SOCI 1F90 or permission of the instructor.
Note: students minoring in Labour Studies or Sociology may register prior to date specified in Registration guide. Contact the Sociology Department.

LABR 2P34
Contemporary Labour Movements
(also offered as SOCI 2P34)
Union controversies and issues facing the modern labour movement. Includes economic, political and sociological perspectives and may include an international comparative component.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: LABR 1F90 (1P91 and 1P92), SOCI 1F90 or permission of the instructor.

LABR 2P71
Social Class and Social Conflict
(also offered as SOCI 2P71)
Classical and contemporary approaches to the study of social class. Topics may include class relations and class conflict, elites, social mobility, poverty and social marginalization, the Canadian class structure in comparison to other industrialized nations.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: open to LABR or SOCI (single or combined) majors until date specified in Registration guide.
Prerequisite: LABR 1F90 (1P91 and 1P92), SOCI 1F90 or permission of the instructor.
Note: students minoring in Labour Studies or Sociology may register prior to date specified in Registration guide. Contact the Sociology Department.

LABR 2P73
Globalization, Inequality and the New World Disorders
(also offered as SOCI 2P73)
Global spread of capitalism, historical origins and perpetuation of underdevelopment, the destruction of traditional societies and environmental impact. Socio-economic structures and political institutions of selected Third World countries and their relationships to metropolitan, industrialized power centers.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: open to LABR or SOCI (single or combined) majors until dated specified in Registration guide.
Prerequisite: LABR 1F90 (1P91 and 1P92), SOCI 1F90 or the permission of the instructor.
Note: students minoring in Labour Studies or Sociology may register prior to date specified in Registration guide. Contact the Sociology Department.

LABR 2P86
Women in the Economy
(also offered as CANA 2P86, ECON 2P86, SOCI 2P86 and WISE 2P86)
Women in the Canadian labour market. Topics include allocation of time between the household and labour market, gender segregation in the work place, how earnings are determined, causes of occupational and earnings difference by gender, role of investment in education and discrimination, recent developments in the labour market and their impact on women and men, and selected policy issues.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: students must have a minimum of 4.0 overall credits.

LABR 2P94
Canadian Economic Issues
(also offered as ECON 2P94)
Canadian economic and business problems and policies. Topics may include stabilization, competition, taxation, foreign trade and exchange rate policies.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisites: ECON 1P91 and 1P92.

LABR 2P96
Women and Development
(also offered as INTL 2P96, SOCI 2P96 and WISE 2P96)
Examination of the major social consequences of the theoretical paradigms of development (economic development, sustainable development and women/gender in development): theoretical material, practical knowledge and debates on diverse experiences of women living in the non-industrial world using Feminist perspectives.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: LABR 1F90 (1P91 and 1P92), WISE 1F90 or permission of the instructor.

LABR 2P98
Work in an Information Age
The growth of information and communications technologies in paid and unpaid work in advanced industrial societies. Topics may include changing employment patterns; high-tech enclaves such as Silicon Valley, Kanata and Mondragon; skill training and changes to the gendered nature of work in high technology industries and organizations.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one of LABR 1F90 (1P91 and 1P92), ECON 1P91 and 1P92, one POLI credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99, SOCI 1F90.

LABR 3F98
Tutorial in Labour Studies
Guided readings on a topic not covered in the program's regular course offerings.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: permission of the Director.
Note: topics must be chosen in consultation with a faculty member willing to supervise the tutorial.

LABR 3P03
Global Labour Issues
(also offered as POLI 3P03)
Shaping of people's changing experience of work by global economic and political change. Topics may include globalization, de-industrialization, class conflict and the relationship between work and the environment.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: students must have a minimum of 8.0 overall credits.
Prerequisite: LABR 1F90 (1P91 and 1P92), one POLI credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99 or permission of the instructor.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade in LABR 3F00.

LABR 3P06
Class and Culture
(also offered as PCUL 3P06)
Labour issues as portrayed in cultural formats such as media, film, fiction and art. Topics may include the labour movement, its role in society, and its portrayal in popular culture.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: open to students with a minimum 8.0 overall credits.
Prerequisite: LABR 1F90 (1P91 and 1P92) or permission of the instructor.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade in LABR 3F00.

LABR 3P13
The Politics of Labour
(also offered as POLI 3P13)
Relations between the labour movement and the state, with particular reference to Canada, including tripartism, corporatism, incomes policy, organized labour and political parties, industrial democracy and worker participation.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one POLI credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99 or permission of the instructor.

LABR 3P24
Labour Economics
(also offered as ECON 3P24)
Economics of the labour market. Topics include the demand for labour, the supply of labour and investment in human capital. Policy applications.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ECON 2P21 or 2P23.

LABR 3P25
Topics in Labour Economics
(also offered as ECON 3P25)
Topics vary from year to year and may include unemployment and the impact of unemployment insurance in the labour market, discrimination in the labour market, labour migration and the economic impact of immigration, economics of the family, the distribution of income and wealth in Canada, the economic impact of unions on wages and non-wage outcomes, issues in retirement and pensions.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: ECON 2P21 or 2P23.

LABR 3P30
Sociology of Women, Work and Family
(also offered as WISE 3P30 and SOCI 3P30)
Examination of the transformation of women's paid labour force involvement and evaluation of personal and public strategies to address the paid labour force work/family conflict.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: open to LABR, SOCI (single or combined) and WISE (single or combined) majors until date specified in the Registration guide.
Prerequisite: one of LABR 1F90 (1P91 and 1P92), SOCI 1F90, WISE 1F90, 2P20 or permission of the instructor.
Note: students minoring in Labour Studies or Sociology may register prior to date specified in Registration guide. Contact the Sociology Department.

LABR 3P31
Complex Organizations
(also offered as SOCI 3P31)
Research on the nature of complex organizations using theories such as those of the French Regulation School. Formal and informal aspects of the organizational roles; how morale, motivation, work discipline and conflict are regulated; feminist critiques of the traditional literature.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: open to LABR and SOCI (single or combined) majors until date specified in the Registration guide.
Prerequisite: LABR 1F90 (1P91 and 1P92), SOCI 1F90 or permission of the instructor.
Note: students minoring in Labour Studies or Sociology may register prior to date specified in Registration guide. Contact the Sociology Department.

LABR 3P33
The State and Economic Life
(also offered as POLI 3P33)
Ideological perspectives on the state-economy relationship; policy instruments including taxation, regulation and public ownership; alternative models of economic policy including socialism, Keynesianism and neo-liberalism.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one POLI credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99 or permission of the instructor.

LABR 3P34
Information Technology and Work
(also offered as SOCI 3P34)
Application of information technology to the labour process. Topics include the relationship of this technology to the number and types of jobs available, to the total hours worked over a lifetime and to the increased importance given to education and work.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: open to LABR and SOCI (single or combined) majors until date specified in the Registration guide.
Prerequisite: LABR 1F90 (1P91 and 1P92), SOCI 1F90 or permission of the instructor.
Note: students minoring in Labour Studies or Sociology may register prior to date specified in Registration guide. Contact the Sociology Department.

LABR 3P50
Canadian Public Administration
(also offered as POLI 3P50)
Role of the public sector in the marketplace and the internal operation of government organizations emphasizing the comparison of public and business administration and government-business relations.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one of MGMT 1P93 and 1P96, one POLI credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99, POLI 2P62 or permission of the instructor.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade in LABR (COMM/ POLI) 2F98.

LABR 3P65
Introduction to Public Policy
(also offered as POLI 3P65)
Major theories, approaches and concepts including the nature of public policy studies, contending theories of the state and public policy making, the growth of the state and the expansion of the scope of public policy activities and alternative modes of state intervention.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: one POLI credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99 or permission of the instructor.

LABR 3P66
Social Movements
(also offered as SOCI 3P66)
Survey of the impact of ideology on behaviour and the subsequent development of social movements or examinations of particular movements such as separatism, nationalism, fascism, Marxism or feminism.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: open to LABR and SOCI (single or combined) majors until date specified in the Registration guide.
Prerequisite: LABR 1F90 (1P91 and 1P92), SOCI 1F90 or permission of the instructor.
Note: students minoring in Labour Studies or Sociology may register prior to date specified in Registration guide. Contact the Sociology Department.

LABR 3P67
Issues in Canadian Public Policy
(also offered as POLI 3P67)
Topics may include criminal, environmental and reproductive policy, gay rights, privacy rights, and public health issues.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: open to Public Administration Co-op majors until date specified in the Registration guide.
Prerequisite: LABR 3P65.

LABR 3P75
Canadian Labour History
(also offered as HIST 3P75)
Canadian workers and the labour movement from the mid-19th century to the present, combining studies of trade unions with the broader context of the social, community and political life of workers. How gender and race/ethnicity have shaped the working class experience.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: open to LABR and HIST (single or combined) majors until date specified in Registration guide.
Prerequisite: HIST 2P02 or permission of the instructor.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade in LABR (CANA/ HIST) 3Q95.

LABR 3P98
Directed Studies I
Guided readings on a topic not covered in the program's regular course offerings.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: permission of the instructor.
Prerequisites: LABR 1F90 (1P91 and 1P92).
Note: topics must be chosen in consultation with a faculty member willing to supervise.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade in LABR 3V95-3V99.

LABR 3P99
Directed Studies II
Guided readings on a topic not covered in the program's regular course offerings.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: permission of the instructor.
Prerequisites: LABR 1F90 (1P91 and 1P92).
Note: topics must be chosen in consultation with a faculty member willing to supervise.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade in LABR 3V95-3V99.

LABR 3V90-3V94
Special Topics in Labour Studies
Special topics courses not offered on a regular basis.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisites: LABR 1F90 (1P91 and 1P92) or permission of the instructor.

LABR 4F90
Honours Thesis
Independent research project under the supervision of a faculty advisor.
Restriction: open to LABR majors with approval to year 4 (honours).
Prerequisite: LABR 3P03 and 3P06 (3F00).
Co-requisite: LABR 4F92 (4P91).

LABR 4F91
Honours Practicum
Service as research associates with a local organization or trade union. Projects will vary with the needs of the organization/trade union.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: open to LABR majors with a minimum of 14.0 overall credits and a minimum 70 percent major average.
Co-requisite: LABR 4F92 (4P91).
Note: the faculty facilitator, organization/trade union supervisor and student will negotiate a mutually satisfactory project and work schedule.

LABR 4F92
Honours Seminar
Facilitation of individual thesis proposals including the development of the research question, review of the relevant literature and the integration of theoretical perspectives with the appropriate methodological applications.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: LABR 3P03 and 3P06 (3F00).
Co-requisite: LABR 4F90 or 4F91.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade in LABR 4P91.

LABR 4P15
Canadian Political Economy
(also offered as POLI 4P15)
Political economy tradition in Canada from the writings of Innis, Mackintosh and Creighton to contemporary neo-Marxist and dependency theorists. Topics may include foreign investment, regional development, the labour movement, resources and Canada's place in the new international economy.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: open to LABR, INPE and POLS (single or combined) majors with either a minimum of 14.0 overall credits and a minimum 70 percent major average or approval to year 4 (honours).

LABR 4P32
Advanced Seminar in the Sociology of Work
(also offered as SOCI 4P32 and WISE 4P32)
Theoretical and research developments in the sociology of work. Topics may include the impact of technological innovation on the labour process, reconceptualizations of work and leisure, changes in the gendered nature of work, the role of the contemporary labour movement and international perspectives on labour and the labour force.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: open to LABR, SOCI (single or combined) and WISE (single or combined) majors until date specified in the Registration guide. Students must have approval to year 4 (honours).
Prerequisites: two SOCI or LABR credits or permission of the instructor.
Note: SOCI 2P32 recommended. Students minoring in Labour Studies or Sociology may register prior to date specified in Registration guide. Contact the Sociology Department.

LABR 4P54
Business-Government Relations
(also offered as POLI 4P54)
Politics and management of relations between business organizations and governments in Canada, emphasizing current research issues. Topics include theories of business-government relations, the legislative and regulatory environment of business, public enterprise and privatization, lobbying and interaction among government, business, the media and labour.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: open to LABR, INPE and POLS(single or combined) majors with either a minimum of 14.0 overall credits and a minimum 70 percent major average or approval to year 4 (honours).
Prerequisite: LABR 2F98, 3P50 or permission of the instructor.
Note: also open to non-POLS majors with a relevant background in other disciplines and permission of the Department.

LABR 4P92
Directed Studies I
Guided reading on a topic not covered in the Department's regular course offerings.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: open to LABR majors with approval to year 4 (honours).
Note: topics must be chosen in consultation with a participating Faculty member willing to supervise the course.

LABR 4P93
Directed Studies II
Guided reading on a topic not covered in the Department's regular course offerings.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: open to LABR majors with approval to year 4 (honours).
Note: topics must be chosen in consultation with a participating Faculty member willing to supervise the course.