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.