The Globalization of Work and Organizations
Course Code: SOAN3040 Term: Fall 2025
Instructor: Dr. Deidre Rose
Contact: derose@uoguelph.ca
Office Hours: TBA
Location: TBA Time: Thursdays 7-9:50 PM
Calendar Description
This course examines the social, economic, and political dimensions of work, locating work and its transformation within the broader context of globalization, economic restructuring, and shifts in public policy. Theoretical approaches and concepts used in the study of work will be introduced and critically assessed.
Department(s):
Course Description
This course explores how work and organizations are shaped by global economic, political, and cultural forces. Drawing on both sociology and anthropology, we investigate transformations in labor, migration, precarity, global supply chains, and the influence of neoliberalism. Through historical, ethnographic, and sociological texts, we will critically examine how globalization reconfigures power relations, worker identities, and institutional structures.
Assessment
TBA – Will include quizzes, learning journals, and a final assignment.
Required Texts
Sallaz, Jeffrey. 2019. Lives on the Line: How the Philippines Became the World’s Call Centre Capital. University of Chicago Press. (This ethnography is open access and available as an ebook for no cost).
Ritzer, George and Paul Dean. 2021. Globalization: A Basic Text, 3rd edition. Wiley.
Select Readings available via ARES.
Relevant documentaries as shown in class on occasion.
A complete syllabus will be provided on the first day of classes and accessible through our Courselink site.