Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Norbert Ebert
Contact via norbert.ebert@mq.edu.au
W6A 836
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Credit points |
Credit points
4
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MPASR or PGDipPASR or PGCertPASR or GradDipPASR or GradCertPASR
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
SOCI705 Advanced Policy Reserach II
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Unit description |
Unit description
The importance of work and employment for individuals as well as societies suggests that we live in work societies. Work is a basic social experience and a key sociological category. Policies around work and employment affect us in ways that we are not always aware of and can improve or hinder our well-being. This unit invites you to explore the relevance of work for individuals as well as societies. It studies the trends and processes at the workplace and contemplates the future role of work. The unit develops a map of how work fits into the structures of broader societies by making sense of your own work experiences, facts about work and contemporary policies.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Name | Weighting | Due |
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PARTICIPATION | 20% | ongoing |
READING LOG | 30% | ongoing until 02/10/2015 |
REVIEW ESSAY | 50% | 06/11/2015 |
Due: ongoing
Weighting: 20%
Students are expected to attend classes every week. They are also required to participate in class discussions on an ongoing basis.
Due: ongoing until 02/10/2015
Weighting: 30%
You are required to keep a reading log book for the readings from week 2-7. What this means is that you need to write a 1 page summary of the reading(s) (one summary per reading if there is more than one) identifying the main topics, concept(s) and the main argument of the reading. Your own opinion, reflections or commentary are not required. The recommendation is that you submit your summary every week before the next lecture through turnitin. However, ultimately all summaries must be in by 02/10/2015 which give you some leeway to read and reread. All readings will be made available on iLearn.
Due: 06/11/2015
Weighting: 50%
Write a review on one of the following publications:
Your review should not exceed 3000 words. Option 1 and 2 are more applied texts, while option 2 is more theoretical.
Your essay should provide a concise and accurate summary of the reading before engaging critcally with the argument on the basis of one or several topics from the course. Make sure you develop a clear and balanced structure, reference correctly and check your grammar and writing style before you submit.
All resources for this unit are provided through the library (e-reserve) or iLearn including lecture recordings.
1 | 30/07/2015 | No Class! |
2 | 06/08/2015 | Introduction: Work and Modernity |
3 | 13/08/2015 | Work and Capitalism |
4 | 20/08/2015 | Work and Productivity |
5 | 27/08/2015 | Work, science and Technology |
6 | 03/09/2015 | Capitalism: A Love Story |
7 | 10/09/2015 | Work-Organisation and the Individual |
17/09/2015 | mid-session break | |
24/09/2015 | mid-session break | |
8 | 01/10/2015 | Study week |
02/10/2015 | final submission(s) date for reading log book (30%) | |
9 | 08/10/2015 | Work and (Un)employment |
10 | 15/10/2015 | The Corporation |
11 | 22/10/2015 | Work and Motivation |
12 | 29/10/2015 | Work and Identity |
13 | 05/11/2015 |
Precarious Work Societies |
06/11/2015 | Assignment 2 is due (review essay 50%) |
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html
Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html
Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html
Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html
Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.
In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Our postgraduates will demonstrate a high standard of discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgment. They will have the ability to make informed choices and decisions that reflect both the nature of their professional work and their personal perspectives.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our postgraduates will be able to demonstrate a significantly enhanced depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content knowledge in their chosen fields.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our postgraduates will be capable of utilising and reflecting on prior knowledge and experience, of applying higher level critical thinking skills, and of integrating and synthesising learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments. A characteristic of this form of thinking is the generation of new, professionally oriented knowledge through personal or group-based critique of practice and theory.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our postgraduates will be capable of systematic enquiry; able to use research skills to create new knowledge that can be applied to real world issues, or contribute to a field of study or practice to enhance society. They will be capable of creative questioning, problem finding and problem solving.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our postgraduates will be able to communicate effectively and convey their views to different social, cultural, and professional audiences. They will be able to use a variety of technologically supported media to communicate with empathy using a range of written, spoken or visual formats.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our postgraduates will be ethically aware and capable of confident transformative action in relation to their professional responsibilities and the wider community. They will have a sense of connectedness with others and country and have a sense of mutual obligation. They will be able to appreciate the impact of their professional roles for social justice and inclusion related to national and global issues
This graduate capability is supported by:
The following readings are not compulsory readings for this unit. It is a selection of readings that you might find helpful for further studies in Sociology or the Sociology of Work and Employment. Enjoy!
Adorno, T. W. (2000). Introduction to Sociology. Cambridge, Polity Press.
Arendt, H. (1998[1958]). The Human Condition. Chicago, The University of Chicago Press.
Bauman, Z. (1995). Searching for a centre that holds. Global Modernities. M. Featherstone, S. Lash and R. Robertson. London, Sage.
Beck, U. (1992). Risk Society: Towards a New Modernity. London, Sage.
Beck, U. (2000). The Brave New World Of Work. Cambridge, Polity.
Berger, P. L. and T. Luckmann (1971). The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge. London, Penguin.
Blatterer, H. (2007), 'Adulthood, Individualization, and the Life Course, Coming of Age in Times of Uncertainty, Berghahn Books, New York and Oxford, pp. pp. 28-50.
Ebert, N. (2012), 'Individualisation at Work', Ashgate, Farnham.
Ebert, N. (2010) 'Privacy and Work' in Modern Privacy: Shifting Boundaries, New Forms. Palgrave, Houndsmill, Basingstoke, Hampshire
Goffman, E. (2001 [1959]). The presentation of self in everyday life. Self and Society. A. Branaman. Oxford, Blackwell: 175-182.
Gorz, A. (1982). Farewell to the Working Class. An Essay on Post-industrial Socialism. London, Pluto Press.
Habermas, J. (1968). Industrialization and capitalism in the work of Max Weber.Negations. Essays in Critical Theory. H. Marcuse. Boston, Beacon Press: 201-226.
Honneth, A. (1995). Work and instrumental action: On the normative basis of Critical Theory. The Fragmented World of the Social. Essays in Social and Political Philosophy. C. W. Mills. Albany, State University of New York Press.
Horkheimer, M. (1992[1941]). The end of reason. The Essential Frankfurt School Reader. A. Arato and E. Gebhardt. New York, Continuum: 26-48.
Kant, I. (1959). What is Enlightenment? Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals. Indianapolis, Bobbs-Merrill.
Markus, M. (1995). Civil society and the politisation of needs. Science, Politics, and Social Practice: Essays on Marxism and Science, Philosophy of Culture and the Social Sciences : in Honor of Robert S. Cohen. K. Gavroglu. Dodrecht, Kluwer Academic Publishers: 161-179.
Mills, C. W. (1967). The Sociological Imagination. London, Oxford University Press.
Offe, C. (1985). Work: The key sociological category? Disorganized Capitalism. J. Keane. Cambridge, Polity Press in association with Basil Blackwell, Oxford: 129-150.
Pixley, J. (1993). Citizenship and Employment. Investigating Post-industrial Options. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Polanyi, K. (2001[1944]). The Great Transformation. The Political and Economic Origins of our Time. Boston, Beacon Press.
Pusey, M. (2003). The Experience of Middle Australia. The Dark Side of Economic Reform. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Riesman, D., N. Glazer, et al. (1961). The Lonely Crowd: A Study of the Changing American Character. New Haven, Yale University Press.
Sennett, R. (2006). The Culture of the New Capitalism. New Haven, Yale University Press.
Whyte, W. H. (1957). The Organization Man. London, Jonathan Cape.
Wilson, S. (2004). The Struggle Over Work: The 'End of Work' and Employment Alternatives for Post-industrial Societies. London, Routledge.
All assignments must be submitted through turnitin on iLearn.
week 2 |
Beck, U. (2000), The Brave New World of Work, Cambridge: Polity Press, Chapter 2 pp. 10-16. |
week 3 | Bell, D. (1973) The Coming of Post-Industrial Society, Basic Books, New York, pp. 12-32. |
week 4 |
Brubaker, R. (1984), The Limits of Rationality, Allen & Unwin, London, Chapter 1, pp. 8-16. Ritzer, G. (1993) The McDonaldization of Society, Pine Forge Press, London, Chapter 2, pp. 18-34. |
week 5 | Rifkin, J. (1996) The End of Work, Penguin, New York, Chapter 1. pp. 3-14. |
week 6 | No reading |
week 7 |
Fromm E (1961) 'Marx's Concept of Man' in Wrong D H and Gracey H L (eds) Readings in Introductory Sociology, Macmillan: London, pp. 219-227. |
week 8 |
study week: Assignment 1 is due. |
week 9 |
Korbin, S. J. (2005) Multinational Corporations, the Protest Movement, and the Future of Global Governance, in Leviathans, edited by Chandler A. D. and Mazlish B., pp. 219-235. |
week 10 |
Weber M (1967) The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, in Wrong D H and Gracey H L (eds) Readings in Introductory Sociology, Macmillan: London, pp. 205-218. |
week 11 |
Weber, M. (1978), From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology, Class, Status, Party, New York Press,, pp. 180-195. Bendix, R. & Lipset, S. M. (1966) A Note on Classes: Karl Marx, in Class, Status and Power, Routledge: London, pp. 5-6. |
week 12 | Kalleberg, A. L. (2009) Insecure Workers: Employment relations in Transition, American Sociological Review, Vol. 74, No 1 (Feb. 2009) pp. 1-22. |