Politics 391FW - The Future of Work

Rapid change in how we work has frequently accompanied technological disruption, bringing with it both enlarged possibilities for freedom in the form of remote work and flexible schedules and new forms of discipline through freedom as technology demands and makes possible ever greater responsiveness. In this course, we will examine the politics of working today, from the promises of the new economy and to the distance between what is promised and what workers actually experience. We will consider alternatives within the share economy, from Uber to cooperatives, arguments for a universal basic income, and more radical experiments in political economy.

Prereq: 8 credits in Politics.