ASOK05325U Globalisation, international crisis and employment relations in Europe

Volume 2013/2014
Education
MA Theme course
Content

The 2008 financial crisis marked the beginning of a prolonged period of extreme economic turmoil that has created multiple challenges to national systems in the areas of labour, employment, social protection and industrial relations. Were these challenges already present and resulting from the process of globalization or were they triggered by the global crisis? How the changes observed have been challenging institutions and policies in Europe? What were the national responses and the European policy response and what shifts have been observed? How trade unions and the emergent social movements have responded and what new challenges are they facing?

The course focuses on globalisation and challenges in relation to labour markets and employment relations. The changes introduced by information technology, multinational companies, and world trade rules and new migrations are examined as crucial factors of globalisation, which might impact in labour relations and labour rights and challenge the traditional national- centred practices and strategies of social actors (namely employers organisations and trade unions), The course examines the impact of financial and economic crisis and austerity policies in European countries from a comparative perspective with focus on: labour law reforms and labour market flexibility; wage and working time flexibility arrangements, collective bargaining decentralization and employees participation; employment protection and flexicurity; and active labour market policies.

The  course will examine supra national European policies and trends in relation to austerity and labour market reforms and their impact in to member states labour market regulations.

The course focus on how those trends are challenging previous patterns of employment relations in European countries taking into consideration the different varieties of capitalism, of industrial relations systems and welfare models.

The course focus also on the strategies and responses of labour market actors, and bargaining processes, in European countries, at the local, sector national and supranational level, and to the role played by European supranational institutions in relation to those processes. In addition, the course addresses the emergence of social movements in Europe and their connection with trade unionism and their role in relation to labour and social rights.

TENTATIVE OUTLINE 

The course consists of the following fourteen units.

Unit 1 – Overview of the course
Unit 2 – Defining Employment Relations
Unit 3 – Industrial Relations approaches
Unit 4 – Globalization and changing employment relations
Unit 5 – Employment relations: convergence or divergence
Unit 6 – Globalization and financial crisis
Unit 7 – International crisis and challenges to labour, welfare and employment relations
Unit 8 – International crisis, polarization and divergence in EU
Unit 9 – EU responses to international crisis: welfare, labour market and employment relations policies
Unit 10 –The trends in Nordic employment relations and social models
Unit 11- Southern Europe, austerity policies and impact in welfare and employment relations
Unit 12- Strategic orientations of trade unionism and renewal
Unit 13- Trade unions and new challenges at the national and supranational level
Unit 14- The emergence and the challenges of social movements in Europe

Learning Outcome

The course aims to provide each student with knowledge of: scientific debates on globalization and international crisis and on their impact on employment relations in Europe; theories and research related with convergence and divergence of labour markets and employment relations systems; theories and research on trade unionism and social movements’ agendas and strategies.
The course aims at provide each student with research skills in relation to the above mentioned topics and to enhance analytical competences.

Literature

Examination requirement app. 800 pages
Requirement readings/syllabus will be distributed during the first session.
Compendium can be purchased at the Akademisk Boghandel, CSS, Øster Farimagsgade 5, building 7, at the beginning of the semester.

Litterature

Beck, U.  2000. “The risk regime “,in The brave new World of Work, Cambridge: Polity Press.

Dabscheck B (1983) “Of Mountains and Routes Over Them: A Survey of Theories of Industrial Relations”. Journal of Industrial Relations, 25. Sage Publications.

Castells, M. 1996. “The informational economy and globalisation” Pp: 93-115, in Castells, Manuel: The rise of network society, Vol I. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.

Castells, M. 1996. “The transformation of work and employment: networkers, jobless and flextimers” Pp 202-231 in Castells, Manuel: The rise of network society, Vol I, Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.

Crouch, C.  2011. The Strange Non-death of Neo-liberalism. Polity Press, Cambridge. 1-125 .

Daly, M. 2012 “Paradigms in EU social policy: a critical account of Europe 2020” Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, 19/01:273-284.

Donatella della Porta and M. Diani (2006), Social Movements: An Introduction. Oxford, Basil Blackwell.

Dølvik J. D. 2008. "The Negotiated Nordic Labour Markets: From Bust to Boom". Center for European Studies Working Paper Series #162. 1- 44.

European Commission. 2013. Industrial Relations in Europe 2012.

Gumbrell-McCormick R and Hyman R. (2013) Trade unions in Western Europe: Hard times, hard choices. Oxford University Press.

Hall P. A. and Lamont M. 2013.Social Resilience in the Neoliberal Era. Cambridge University Press.

Harvey, D . 2010.The Enigma of capital and the crisis of capitalism. Oxford University Press.

Heyes, J.  2013. “Flexicurity in crisis: European labour market policies in a time of austerity” European Journal of Industrial Relations: 1-16.

Huiskamp, R. 1995: “Regulating the employment relationship: an analytical framework”, Pp 16-36 in Ruysseveldt, J.V., Huiskamp, R. and Hoof, J.V. (eds.): Comparative Industrial and Employment Relations. London: Sage Publications.

Hyman, Richard. 2002. Understanding European Trade Unionism: Between Market, Class & Society, Sage, London.

Jensen, Carsten Strøby, 2008. “Theories of Industrial Relations - Existing Paradigms and New Developments”. IREC Conference 2008. London.

Jesper D and Jørgen S M, 2008. "The Danish Model of Industrial Relations: Erosion or Renewal?" Journal of Industrial Relations 50(3). 513-529

Lallement, M. 2011." Europe and the economic crisis: forms of labour market adjustment and varieties of capitalism". In Work Employment Society, 25(4) 627–641, Sage Publications.

Lapavitsas, C. 2011. "Theorizing financialization" In Work Employment Society,  25(4) 611–626, Sage Publications.

Murray, G. 2010. Framing Globalization and Work: A Research Agenda. Journal of Industrial Relations, February 2010, 52: 11-25.

O'Reilly, J, Lain D., Sheehan M., Smale B. and Stuart M. 2011. " Managing uncertainty: the crisis, its consequences and the global workforce". In Work Employment Society, 25(4) 581–595, Sage Publications.

Pochet,  P. and Degryse  C (2013) Monetary Union and the stakes for democracy and social policy. Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, 19/01:103-116.

Traxler, F. 2003. “Bargaining, State regulation and the trajectories of Industrial Relations”, Pp. 141-161, in European Journal of Industrial Relations, Volume 9, Number 2, July. London: Sage Publications.

Visser, J. 1996. “Traditions and transitions in industrial relations. A European view”, Pp. 1-41 in Ruysseveldt, J. V. and Visser, J.: Industrial Relations in Europe - Traditions and Transitions. London: Sage Publications.

Rychly L. and Jason Heyes J. 2013 (eds.) Labour administration and the economic crisis. International Labor Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.

 

The course will combine lectures with group discussion and presentations in relation to specific topics.
MA-level (Engelsk)
Not for undergraduates from our own Department of Sociology
Not for undergraduates from other Danish departments
BA-Undergraduates from foreign countries can sign up for this course.

Kurset fungerer samtidig som liniefag i specialiseringsretningen: Organisation, Ledelse og Arbejdsmarked

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  • Category
  • Hours
  • Exam
  • 123,5
  • Lectures
  • 28
  • Preparation
  • 123,5
  • Total
  • 275,0
Credit
10 ECTS
Type of assessment
Oral examination
An oral exam based upon a topic chosen by the individual student
Group/individual: Individual
Size: A synopsis of maximum 3 pages of 2400 characters. The synopsis may be handed in as a group. However, the oral exam is on individual basis. The synopsis itself is ment as a discussion paper and does not enter into the assessment
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Internal examiners.
Exam period
Handing in of papers: 12.00 o’clock in the secretariat (16.1.34) Submission dates will be available on Absalon.
Criteria for exam assesment
See couse aims.
Credit
10 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment
Group/individual:. The Free written take-home essay may be written individually or by a group (max. 4 persons)
Size: An Free written take-home essay of maximum 15 pages of 2400 characters each page. If written by a group, the essay may be 7½ pages of 2400 characters each page longer per additional student.
Attention: When handing in as a group, the contribution of each student must be pointed out.
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Internal examiners.
Exam period
Handing in of papers: 12.00 o’clock in the secretariat (16.1.34) Submission dates will be available on Absalon.
Criteria for exam assesment
See course aims.