ILRGL 2385 - Money, Work, and Power

Fall or Spring. 3 credits. Letter grades only.

Enrollment limited to: ILR sophomores or others with permission of the instructor who have not satisfied their ILR sophomore writing requirement. Satisfies the ILR sophomore writing requirement.

S. Besky.

In this writing seminar, we will explore analytical forms of writing about three of the pillars of capitalism: money, work, and power. Though these pillars may seem self-explanatory, their meanings change depending on context. Focusing on work by anthropologists, geographers, and historians, we will learn how attention to context can help us critically engage key concepts that animate the global economy. These concepts include ones about supply and demand, fair trade, meritocracy, debt, and even the “newness” of the so-called “new” economy of temporary and “gig” labor.