| Unit name | Capitalism and the Future of Work: Towards Utopia or Dystopia? |
|---|---|
| Unit code | MGRC20011 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Geelan |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Management - Business School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important
How is global capitalism – the dominant socio-economic system – shaping the way we work? What are the different aspects that best characterize work and capitalism today? And how will work evolve in near and distant futures? In this three-part unit, you will begin by conceptualizing and problematizing capitalism, focusing on work as one of its defining features. Next, in Part II, you will critically examine various forms of contemporary capitalism through the prism of work, ranging from green capitalism, racial capitalism, and feminist capitalism to platform capitalism, surveillance capitalism, psychedelic capitalism, and woke capitalism. Finally, in Part III, you will speculate about what near and distant futures of work will look like in light of timely issues such as climate change and the advent of new digital technologies. For this part, you will draw upon literature, films, and pop culture portraying utopian and dystopian futures.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
This unit is in line with the new Business School’s commitment to the interdisciplinary and social-science oriented study of business and management as well as its goal of helping you become a global citizen who will work towards more just and sustainable economies and societies. Given the expertise of the unit director who is a member of the Work, Employment, Organisation and Public Policy (WEOPP) academic group, the unit will be characterized by research-led teaching along with in-class input from experts, activists, and practitioners from local NGOs and the corporate sector. The focus on utopian and dystopian futures also means that you will become part of an intellectual bridge between the teaching activities of the Business School and the Bristol Digital Futures Institute through research visits and invited guest lectures.
An overview of content
The aim of this unit is to introduce you to the cutting-edge debate on the future of work by exploring fundamental issues arising from different aspects of capitalism. The unit is divided into three parts. In Part I, you will begin by conceptualizing and problematizing capitalism, focusing on work as one of its defining features. Next, in Part II, you will critically examine various forms of contemporary capitalism through the prism of work, ranging from green capitalism, racial capitalism, and feminist capitalism to platform capitalism, surveillance capitalism, psychedelic capitalism, and woke capitalism. Finally, in Part III, you will speculate about what near and distant futures of work will look like in light of timely issues such as climate change and the advent of new digital technologies. For this part, you will draw upon literature, films, and pop culture portraying utopian and dystopian futures.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
As a results of completing this unit, you will have sharpened your critical, dialogical, and decolonial thinking abilities and be able to deploy these to engage with the cutting-edge debate on the future of work.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
The pedagogical approach is critical, dialogical, and decolonial. In practice, this means you will be encouraged to question taken-for-granted assumptions, to participate in an ongoing dialogue as a group of equals and be willing to share personal experiences and evaluate alternative viewpoints, and to challenge Eurocentrism by engaging with decolonial thinkers. This way of learning is ideal for studying different aspects of contemporary capitalism because it allows you to form your own opinions about how the world of work is currently developing and how it could be organised in the future to become more just and sustainable.
The breakdown of total student input by hours (200 hours in total) is as follows:
30 contact hours in lectures and seminars;
30 hours of individual preparation for lectures and seminars;
20 hours group work outside of tutorials;
20 hours of IT and Blackboard engagement including newspaper articles, films, and documentaries;
50 hours for formative and summative assessments;
50 hours independent learning.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
formative assessment will take place continuously in seminars as you will be required to present analytical work based on assigned case studies, short academic articles, and media coverage in small groups of 3-5 people. You will also be required to offer critical and constructive verbal feedback to your peers (ILOs 1,2,3,4,5). This will complement the written feedback provided by the teacher. Additional feedback will be available during the teacher’s office hours.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
1) annotated bibliography – 20% (ILOs 1 & 4)
2) 2,500-word essay – 80% (ILOs 1,2,3,4,5)
When assessment does not go to plan:
Arrangements for those of you who have not been able to take or pass a summative assessment will be in line with the school guidelines (e.g., where there are extenuating circumstances). Re-assessment tasks will not take a different form to the original assessment: an annotated bibliography (20%) and a 2,500 words essay (80%).
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. MGRC20011).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
