ASOK05325U Globalisation, international crisis and employment relations in Europe

Volume 2014/2015
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 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 and of employment regimes as well as the variety 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.

 

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.

Litteratur

Beck, U.  2000. 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” in Castells, Manuel: The rise of network society, Vol I. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers: 93-115.

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

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

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.

Fadda, S. and Tridico, P. 2013. Financial Crises, Labour Markets and Institutions, Routledge.

Gallie, Duncan.2013. Economic crisis, Quality of Work, and Social Integration: the European experience.  Oxford University Press.

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

Hall, P. and Thelen K. 2009. Institutional change in varieties of capitalism, Socio-Economic Review, 7 (1): 7-34.

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”, in Ruysseveldt, J.V., Huiskamp, R. and Hoof, J.V. (eds.): Comparative Industrial and Employment Relations. London: Sage Publications: 16-36.

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", Work Employment Society, 25(4), Sage Publications: 627-641.

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

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

Natali, David and Vanhercke, Bart  (2013) Social developments in the European Union  2012, European Trade Union Institute (ETUI)/European Social Observatory (OSE). 

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.

Schäfer, A. and Streeck, W. 2013. Politics in the age of austerity. Polity Press.

Schömann, I. 2014. Labour law reforms in Europe: adjusting employment protection legislation for the worse?Working Paper 2014.02, ETUI (European Trade Union Institute), Brussels.

Svalund J et al (2013) “Stress testing the Nordic models: Manufacturing labour adjustments during crisis”,  European Journal of Industrial Relations, September 2013 19: 183-200.

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

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

 

Not for undergraduates from Danish departments
BA-Undergraduates from foreign countries can sign up for this course.
Students of social sciences.
The course will combine lectures with group discussion and presentations in relation to specific topics.
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
Individual exam
Assesment: 7-point grading scale

See details concerning form of examination exam in the curriculum
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Internal examiners.
Exam period
Submission dates and time will be available on the homepage of Sociology / education Site / Exam.
Criteria for exam assesment

See couse aims.

Credit
10 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment
Individual/group
Assesment: 7-point grading scale

See details concerning form of examination exam in the curriculum
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Internal examiners.
Exam period
Submission dates and time will be available on the homepage of Sociology / education Site / Exam.
Criteria for exam assesment

See course aims.