Unit Guide

General Information

Unit convenor and teaching staff	Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor Norbert Ebert norbert.ebert@mq.edu.au Contact via norbert.ebert@mq.edu.au W6A 836 Desiree Gaillard desiree.gaillard@mq.edu.au
Credit points	Credit points 3
Prerequisites	Prerequisites 12cp
Corequisites	Corequisites
Co-badged status	Co-badged status
Unit description	Unit description Work and employment are basic social experiences. How can we understand them and why are they so important to us? This unit searches for answers by applying sociological key concepts to contemporary work and employment issues. The unit is made up of three parts. The first part examines the relevance of work for individuals and society. In the second part we investigate the organisation of work and employment on a political, organisational and individual level. The final part deals with our experience of work. It contemplates the future of work in terms of work-life balance and the chances for individuals' self-realisation. On the basis of those three parts you will gain a clear understanding of work and employment in contemporary societies.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

Identify the characteristics of contemporary work societies and the prevalence of work and employment for individual, organisational and social wellbeing.
Recognise the risks and opportunities originating in the organisation, structures and processes characterising work societies.
Integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments to understand the link between economic and social roles of work and employment for individuals and societies.
Student will learn how to think sociologically.

Assessment Tasks

Name	Weighting	Due
My Work Experience	20%	16. March 2015
Writing Exercise 1	40%	27. April 2015
Writing Exercise 2	40%	25. May 2015

My Work Experience

Due: 16. March 2015
Weighting: 20%

This course on Work and Employment offers you ideas and concepts with which you can reflect on your own work experience, analuse contemporary work societies and the organisations we work in. Thus, it is important to be able to connect the ideas we discuss to your own work experience.

In this first assignment we ask you, therefore, to write 600 words on any kind of work experience that you have had in your life so far. It is a first exercise with which we learn to reflect on work and employment and our own experiences are always a good and important starting point for Sociologists.

To give you an example I have written a "my Work Experience" report myself. Here it is:

Overall I have had 24 years of work experience. The very first paid job was a casual job as a gardener for a very small company. The task at hand was to fix and repaint a wooden fence. Because I had to organise the material for the job as well as manage my own time, I enjoyed the realisation of this little project enormously.

A few years after that I worked night shifts on an assembly-line. It was an exhausting job because I had no autonomy at all. The machine determined everything from eating breaks to going to the bathroom. I only lasted six weeks in this job before I quit. The best thing about that job was that it was paid very well and that I had a boss with whom I got along very well.

Next I worked in a hospital as a nurse's aid, a shift job again. Although I tremendously enjoyed working with people and being able to help people, it was emotionally very taxing. Pay does not compensate very well for coping with the emotional needs of a dying person or for seeing people in excruciating pain without being able to do anything. I decide to leave this job too in order to work as a construction worker.

Again, this was a very well paid job but after about 5 months I felt that it was physically too exhausting and lacked intellectual stimulus. That is when I decided to do an apprenticeship as a business administrator in an office furniture company. Apprenticeship meant that my job changed every two months in order to learn about every aspect of the business from HR to assembly to acocunting. Three dyas of the week I was in the compnay and two days I was at school learning the theoretical basics about how to run a business.

While I learned the basics about how a business ticks, I also learned a lot about myself. After finshing the apprenticeship I worked my way up into manageemnt over 12 years. During that time I had already started studying philosophy, sociology and business administration. This enabled me to to a PhD and become a lecturer in Sociology, which is my current job.

I think it was the apprenticeship that enabled me to find out what I really wanted to do and what job satisfaction means for me. It was my favorite job before I became a lecturer.

When I read through my little report on my work experience I can identify important topics like autonomy, physical, emotional and intellectual aspects of work. I can see that what is important to me about my jobs is linked to people, even the wider society. From all those jobs I learned that it is important to me to work with people, to have a job that is not just about earning money and that my job gives me a sense of being able to realise myself but also to shape society, the world we all live in.

On successful completion you will be able to:

Identify the characteristics of contemporary work societies and the prevalence of work and employment for individual, organisational and social wellbeing.
Integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments to understand the link between economic and social roles of work and employment for individuals and societies.
Student will learn how to think sociologically.

Writing Exercise 1

Due: 27. April 2015
Weighting: 40%

The point of the Writing Exercises is that you engage in depth with ONE of the weekly topics that has been covered before the due date (you cannot choose the same topic for your second exercise). Your exercise should:

a) answer the weekly key question form the lecture by

b) defining and explaining in your own words the key concepts of the chosen week

c) refer to the reading(s) of the chosen week to back up your key points

Your reflection exercise is not allowed to exceed 800 words. The 10% rule does NOT apply! Do not reference the lecturer or the lecture slides!

On successful completion you will be able to:

Identify the characteristics of contemporary work societies and the prevalence of work and employment for individual, organisational and social wellbeing.
Recognise the risks and opportunities originating in the organisation, structures and processes characterising work societies.
Integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments to understand the link between economic and social roles of work and employment for individuals and societies.
Student will learn how to think sociologically.

Writing Exercise 2

Due: 25. May 2015
Weighting: 40%

The point of the Writing Exercises is that you engage in depth with ONE of the weekly topics that has been covered before the due date (you cannot choose the wee you have covered in your first writing exercise). Your exercise should:

a) answer the weekly key question form the lecture by

b) defining and explaining in your own words the key concepts of the chosen week

c) refer to the reading(s) of the chosen week to back up your key points

Your reflection exercise is not allowed to exceed 800 words. The 10% rule does NOT apply! Do not reference the lecturer or the lecture slides!

On successful completion you will be able to:

Identify the characteristics of contemporary work societies and the prevalence of work and employment for individual, organisational and social wellbeing.
Recognise the risks and opportunities originating in the organisation, structures and processes characterising work societies.
Integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments to understand the link between economic and social roles of work and employment for individuals and societies.
Student will learn how to think sociologically.

Delivery and Resources

All lectures will be recorded on iLecture and available through iLearn. The readings used in this course are available through e-reserve or a link on iLearn. The delivery of the unit for external students occurs through iLearn.

Unit Schedule

Course Calender:

1	23/2/2015	Introduction: Work and Society
2	2/3/2015	Work and Modernity
3	9/3/2015	Work and Capitalism
4	16/3/2015	Work and Productivity
	16/3/2015	Assignment 1 is due (20%)
5	23/3/2015	Work, Science and Technology
6	30/3/2015	Capitalism: A Love Story
	6/4/2015	mid-session break
	13/4/2015	mid-session break
7	20/4/2015	Work-Organisation and the Individual
8	27/4/2015	Work and (Un)employment
	27/4/2015	Assignment 2 40% is due
9	4/5/2015	The Corporation
10	11/5/2015	Work and Motivation
11	18/5/2015	Work and Identity
12	25/5/2015	Precarious Work Society
	25/5/2015	Assignment 3 40% is due
13	1/6/2015	Wrap up!

Policies and Procedures

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.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Results

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.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

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.

Graduate Capabilities

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

Student will learn how to think sociologically.

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

Integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments to understand the link between economic and social roles of work and employment for individuals and societies.
Student will learn how to think sociologically.

Assessment tasks

My Work Experience
Writing Exercise 1
Writing Exercise 2

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

Recognise the risks and opportunities originating in the organisation, structures and processes characterising work societies.
Integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments to understand the link between economic and social roles of work and employment for individuals and societies.
Student will learn how to think sociologically.

Assessment tasks

My Work Experience
Writing Exercise 1
Writing Exercise 2

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

Identify the characteristics of contemporary work societies and the prevalence of work and employment for individual, organisational and social wellbeing.
Integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments to understand the link between economic and social roles of work and employment for individuals and societies.
Student will learn how to think sociologically.

Assessment tasks

My Work Experience
Writing Exercise 1
Writing Exercise 2

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

Recognise the risks and opportunities originating in the organisation, structures and processes characterising work societies.

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

Recognise the risks and opportunities originating in the organisation, structures and processes characterising work societies.

Assessment task

Writing Exercise 1

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

Integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments to understand the link between economic and social roles of work and employment for individuals and societies.

Assessment tasks

My Work Experience
Writing Exercise 1
Writing Exercise 2

Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

Integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments to understand the link between economic and social roles of work and employment for individuals and societies.

Additional Readings

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. http://norbertebert.webs.com/publications

Ebert, N. (2010) 'Privacy and Work' in Modern Privacy: Shifting Boundaries, New Forms. Palgrave, Houndsmill, Basingstoke, Hampshire

see http://norbertebert.webs.com/publications

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.

Assignment submission

All assignment must be submitted online through turnitin.

How to get the most out of SOC295

In order to get the most out of SOC295 without drowning in work, the following three recommendations will help you:

Do the readings before the lecture. While you read highlight important or problematic passages, take notes, make brief but concise summary of the reading. This will prepare you for your reflection exercises, allows you to quickly revisit a reading without having to re-read the whole piece.
Attend (or listen on iLearn to) the lectures every week. Without the lectures you will not get anything out of this course. They are the centrepiece. Do not waste your time with copying the lecture notes from the screen. Listen wnd write down key words and concepts in your own words. Write down questions that you want to discuss in the tutorial.
Please use the discussion boards on iLearn. Online tutorial participation is not compuslory, but highly recommended if you want to do well. You will do a lot better in your assignments if you discuss your topic with others. If you want to seriously learn something the online forum is without alternative!

Enjoy your work :-)

Info for External Students

The assessment task and due dates for external students are the same as the ones for on campus students (see assessment tasks).

SUBMISSION OF ASSIGNMENTS AS AN EXTERNAL STUDENT:

As an EXTERNAL STUDENT all assignments must be submitted online through turnitin!

In order to get the most out of SOC295 AS AN EXTERNAL STUDENT without drowning in work, the following three recommendations will help you:

Do the readings before you listen to the lecture. While you read highlight important or problematic passages, take notes, make brief but concise summary of the reading. This will prepare you for your reflection exercises, allows you to quickly revisit a reading without having to re-read the whole piece.
Listen to the lectures every week. Without the lectures you will not get anything out of this course. They are the centrepiece. Do not waste your time with copying the lecture notes from the screen. Listen wnd write down key words and concepts in your own words. Write down questions that you want to discuss on the weekly discussion boards on iLearn.
Use the weekly discussion boards on iLearn. This is highly recommended. You will do a lot better in your assignments if you discuss with other students. If you want to seriously learn something discussion is without alternative!

Enjoy your work :-)

Reading(s) per week

The readings for SOC295 are available through e-reserve (http://www.library.mq.edu.au/borrowing/ereserve.php) or weekly links 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	Braverman, H. (1974) Labor and Monopoly Capital, New York, Monthly Review Press, Chapter 4, pp. 85-123. McLellan, D. (1980) The Thought of Karl Marx, London: Papermac, Part 2, Chapter 1, pp. 117-122.
week 8	Bradely, H., Erickson, M., Stephenson, C. and Williams, S. (2000), Myths at Work, Chapter 2, pp. 51-70.
week 9	no reading
week 10	Weber, M. (1976) The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, London, Routledge, pp. 155-183.
week 11	Weber, M. (1978), From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology, Class, Status, Party, New York Press,, pp. 180-195.
week 12	Kalleberg, A. L. (2009) Insecure Workers: Employment relations in Transition, American Sociological Review, Vol. 74, No 1 (Feb. 2009) pp. 1-22.