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Politics of Work

Module description

The past decade of populism, pandemic, automation panics and inflationary pressures has put work and workers firmly back into the political conversation, reflecting broader societal and electoral cleavages and realignments. Contrasting experiences of workplace change, technological shifts, industrial transformation and labour market opportunities mean that work is as much a divider as a unifier in contemporary politics. Meanwhile, weakened institutional infrastructures for governing work leave politicians and policymakers struggling to keep pace with the rapid fragmentation and reshaping of employment in the context of technological and economic ruptures. This module explores these different dimensions of the present-day politics of work in contemporary Britain.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to equip you with empirical, theoretical and historical resources for understanding how the everyday experience of work relates to broader political, cultural and economic processes. It will familiarise you with analytical frames of reference that provide tools for the development of critical perspectives on how contemporary work and employment is experienced by different groups of workers. In turn, it explores how these analytical frames can help inform practical political and policy responses to contemporary challenges in employment, labour markets and industrial relations. You will explore these experiences, analyses and policy challenges in the context of diverse case study sectors and examples representative of the world of work in the present-day UK.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate understanding of the different ways work is performed, organised and experienced.
• 2. Apply concepts and theories to analyse empirical case studies about different kinds of work
• 3. Draw upon experiences and analyses of work to propose potential policy responses to key issues

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. Work independently/collaboratively to research and communicate empirical insights on working life.
• 5. Conduct rigorous, independent analysis using a variety of relevant sources or evidence
• 6. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different policy responses to workplace challenges

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 7. Display creativity, imagination, empathy and authenticity in representing the experiences of others
• 8. Construct a reasoned and logical argument supported by evidence
• 9. Work independently and collaboratively to develop practical solutions to real-world problems

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:

• The Labour Process at Amazon
• Social Reproduction in Care Work
• Class Composition and the Call Centre
• Technology and the Gig Economy
• Pluralism and Corporatism
• Production and Distribution
• Dignity and Technology
• Justice and Recognition

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

James Bloodworth (2019) Hired: Six Months Undercover in Low-Wage Britain. Atlantic.

Jon Cruddas (2020) The Dignity of Labour. Polity.

Claire Ainsley (2018) The New Working Class. Policy Press.

Matthew Taylor (2017) The Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices. HM Government.

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

As well as journal articles and other resources, the indicative basic readings will be augmented with journal articles and films/documentaries from the Learning on Screen/Box of Broadcasts archive of UK television programming.

Key words search

Work, Employment, Labour, Industrial Relations, Class, Automation, Technology, Value, Political Economy