Seminar Transnational Labour Markets

Labor Markets differ from other markets in several aspects. Firstly, labor cannot be traded like other goods independently from the person that sells it. On the contrary, the sellers of labor depend on employment in order to secure their livelihood. Secondly, the terms of the contract between employer and employee are vague, as the intensity and output of labor cannot be controlled completely by employers. Thirdly, the state plays a central role in regulating labor markets. This concerns conditions of employment (e.g. are fixed-term contracts permitted?) but also with respect to the social security of workers in times of un- and underemployment. The seminar will start with an introduction into theories of labor markets and their regulation. It will then focus on recent debates about processes of transnationalization. So far sociological research on transnationalization has mainly considered processes of migration. More recently sociologists have also discussed the extent to which institutions have started to become transnational. In the context of the European Union (as a supra-national entity) and of debates about outsourcing and global production chains we will discuss whether labor markets are still regulated by nation states alone or whether some segments of labor markets (for example transnationalizing professions, or unskilled labor in the domestic sector) have become transnational. The (partial) transnationalization of labor markets poses a challenge to national and supranational governance in the European Union as it grapples with cross-national activities of employers and unions References for the course can be found in the university libraries electonic readers no. LK 178 http://duepublico.uni-duisburg-essen.de/semapp/index.xml You have to sign in with your user name and then enter the password: Forschung in order to access the readings in the course. Preliminary readings: Levitt, Peggy/Glick Schiller, Nina (2007): Conceptualizing simultaneity: a transnational social field perspective on society. In: Portes, Alejandro/DeWind, Josh (Hrsg.). Rethinking migration: new theoretical and empirical perspectives. New York, Oxford, S. 181-218. Quack, Sigrid (2009): 'Global' markets in theory and history: towards a comparative analysis. In: Beckert, Jens/Deutschmann, Christoph (Hrsg.). Wirtschaftssoziologie. Wiesbaden, S. 125-142. Sozialwissenschaften Students are expected to comprehend both written and oral English. I will however adapt requirements to your personal English skills in order to offer a good learning environment to every individual in the course. For example, those who have studied English in German schools only will be required to read shorter texts than those with very good English skills. All students should come to class having read the required readings. At each meeting, we will first discuss the required readings and then students will present the additional readings to the class. You will receive a certificate of participation, if you have prepared for and attended 7 out of 8 days. If you want to receive credit for the course, you should also prepare an oral presentation and submit written notes of two sessions by July 23rd, 2012. Universität Duisburg-Essen SS 2012 Soz B.A., Soziologie (Bachelor of Arts) Prof. Dr. Weiß Anja