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Sociology of Work in the Czech Republic and the United States

Class at Faculty of Arts |
ASGV10008

Syllabus

Course Outline & Schedule    

Please note that the timing of activities, topics, and readings listed below may change. I will give you timely notice of any major changes in class and through Moodle. 

You should complete readings before the start of class on the listed due date.

You should complete homeworks before 5pm on the Wednesday before class.    

 Week

Date

Topic

Readings

Assignments  

REMEMBER: Attendance & participation are required in every class 1 16.2

Thinking about work

-       Course introduction

-       What is work?

-       Why do economic systems & national history matter for work?

Syllabus  

Dizikes     2 23.2

Understanding jobs

-       Types of jobs

-       Dimensions of work

Bowe, Bowe, and Streeter

Homework 1 due (Wed 5pm before class)   3 2.3

US and Czech work structure (Part 1)

-       Work-related national histories (overview)

-       Major work eras

-       Globalization, automation/AI, & outsourcing

Eggers pp. 101-108  

Shumway  

Volti Ch. 5      

Homework 2 due (Wed 5pm before class) 4 9.3

US and Czech work structure (Part 2)

-       Wages, hours, vacations, & health insurance

-       Federal & state employment laws

-       The unemployment process

DOL EEO  

DOL FLSA  

Volti Ch. 14 (pp. 253-269)

Homework 3 due (Wed 5pm before class) 5 16.3

The Great Recession & the COVID Recession  

Napolitano et al

Homework 4 due (Wed 5pm before class) 6 23.3

US and Czech work culture

-       Work & identity

-       Attitudes toward work

-       Work-life balance

Vaněk and Mücke

Homework 5 due (Wed 5pm before class) 7 30.3

Work-related problems (Part 1)

-       Job stress & mental health

-       Decline of unions (US)

Norris Ch. 3

Homework 6 due (Wed 5pm before class)

Week 8 – no class 6.4 – Dean Day/Easter Holidays 9 13.4

Work-related problems (Part 2)

-       Unemployment, identity, & mental health

Sheehan

Homework 7 due (Wed 5pm before class)  

Exam outline work session #1: Prepare in class – due at end of class 10 20.4

Social statuses at work (Part 1)

-       Gender

Benard & Correll

Homework 8 due (Wed 5pm before class) 11 27.4

Social statuses at work (Part 2)

-       Race, ethnicity, & national origin

-       Social class of origin

Wingfield  

Lubrano

Homework 9 due (Wed 5pm before class) 12 4.5

Social statuses at work (Part 3)

-       Age & generations  

Standifer & Lester

Homework 10 due (Wed 5pm before class)   13 11.5

Revisiting the big picture: US & Czech work structures/cultures & their effects

-       Review of main points

-       Discussion

-       Final exam outline prep

No new readings

Exam outline work session #2: Prepare in class – due at end of class

Finals period (June) - specific dates to be determined  

FINAL EXAM (cumulative) – handwritten in class

No new readings

Bring prepared outlines

FINAL EXAM    

Annotation

In this course, students explore the ways that structure and culture shape work in the United States and the Czech Republic. This course connects major historical events, work-related laws, workplace organization, and individual workers’ experiences.

It also covers the effects of social statuses (e.g., race/ethnicity, gender, age, social class, etc.) on workers’ experiences and macro-level work-related patterns (e.g., unemployment rates, pay), and addresses common work-related problems. Special emphasis is given to similarities and differences between Czech and U.S. work structures and cultures, along with these systems’ effects.