Women,Gender,Sexuality Studies 695W - S- Work Matters

As a concept larger than employment, work is any mental or physical effort expended toward a particular purpose. Given that the global pandemic has profoundly reshaped what was already a highly disruptive economy under global capitalism, the time is ripe to investigate how (and whether) we, and our society, work. In this interdisciplinary consideration of work in economic, historical, philosophical, sociological and scientific contexts, with special attention to the Detroit-based "New Work, New Culture" movement, we will turn to intersectional feminisms and queer theory to interrogate concepts of good work and productivity while asking: Why do we work? What work needs to be done? Who cares? And finally: What is your ideal work?