What is globalization? What is labor? And how are the two connected? “Globalization” became an important keyword in anthropology only in the 1990s, while “labor” is a concept with a much longer history. However, globalizing processes have profoundly reshaped the ways in which labor “works” today. In this course we will learn about key approaches to globalization and labor in anthropology. The first part of the course gives an overview of the two concepts. The second part moves through different weekly themes, using ethnographic case studies from across the globe to explore globalization and labor “on the ground”. By the end of the course, students will be familiar with anthropological discussions of globalization and labor and how these intersect in different sectors of work across the world.
- Instructor: Johanna Markkula