ELR 1110 Work and Democracy: An Introduction Cr. 3

Satisfies General Education Requirement: Civic Literacy

The course explores the role that labor and the labor movement have played in shaping democracy in the United States over the past two centuries and the limits of democracy in the workplace. It covers key political achievements of labor and workers' organizations and the contemporary challenges they face today. Key themes include labor and citizenship, industrial democracy, the role of the state in mediating labor relations, gender, race, sexuality and labor, the labor movement as a social movement, and power and politics in the workplace. Offered Every Term.

Equivalent: ANT 1110, HIS 1110, PS 1110

ELR 2400 Survey of the Music Business and Labor Cr. 3

Satisfies General Education Requirement: Social Inquiry

Overview of music business, intellectual property basics, and music business careers. Survey of the economic structure and social institutions of the music industry. Examination of problems in cultural careers. Offered Winter.

Equivalent: MUA 2400

ELR 2500 Introduction to Labor Studies Cr. 4

Introduction to labor and employment relations: the essential nature, evolution and purpose of the twenty-first century workplace. Offered Every Term.

ELR 3220 Labor in Media and Popular Culture Cr. 3

The course explores labor behind and in popular culture in the United States. We will use themes of race, gender, technology, and class to explore popular culture, cultural workers, and their relationship to labor organizations in the 20th and 21st centuries. Our topics include music, video games, television and films, animation, streaming and influencer culture, the fast food industry, fashion, sports, and more. Offered Yearly.

Equivalent: HIS 3220

ELR 3434 Labor in Latin America Cr. 3

The aim of this course is to introduce students to the history of labor and the working-class throughout Latin America from pre-Hispanic times to the present. The class begins by looking at indigenous labor in the pre-Colombian context. This section will include readings on communal labor with emphasis on peasant classes. The second section moves to the Conquest of Latin America. Students will learn how colonialism influenced and drastically changed how people participated in the workforce. There will be readings on slave and indigenous labor. The third section deals with the independence and nation-building periods of the 19th and 20th centuries. Here students will examine how the working-class and peasants negotiated aspects of national identity in several case studies. This will involve exploring labor activism and other labor movements in Chile, Argentina, Peru, Brazil, and Mexico.Finally, the class will end with the neoliberal period and its impact on workers. Offered Every Other Year.

Equivalent: HIS 3434, LAS 3434

ELR 3650 The Philosophy of Work Cr. 3

This course examines philosophy of work and the relationship between political economy and the ethics of work. It explores the definition and meaning of work in different historical and cultural contexts and then focuses on practical philosophy and applied ethics with respect to work, occupational choice, and social responsibility. It also considers the tensions between work and individual rights and work and social justice. Offered Yearly.

Equivalent: PHI 3650

ELR 4500 Applied Labor Studies Cr. 3

Practical training in various labor relations specialties, such as collective bargaining or labor law. Consult coordinator on specific topic. Offered Every Term.

Repeatable for 12 Credits

ELR 4700 Senior Seminar Cr. 3

Satisfies General Education Requirement: Writing Intensive Competency

Research, reflection, discussion and analysis of labor relations practice. Offered Yearly.

Prerequisites: ELR 2500

Repeatable for 6 Credits

ELR 4990 Directed Study Cr. 1-6

Supervised reading and research in labor studies. Offered Every Term.

Repeatable for 6 Credits