WORKLABR 4F03 - Work and the Environment

3 unit(s)

Who bears the cost of environmental degradation? How does our current economic system shape possibilities for environmental justice? Is there such a thing as working-class environmentalism? And how do issues of environmental justice get taken up by trade unions? Struggles for environmental justice include everything from fighting against climate change and fighting for access to clean drinking water, to battles over health and safety in the workplace. In this course we will examine how social relations under capitalism shape our interactions with nature and create patterns of work and inequality. We will also explore the varied ways workers and workers organizations have responded to issues of environmental injustice.
Lectures and seminar discussion; one term
Prerequisite(s): Registration in Level IV of an Honours Work and Labour Studies program; or permission of the Director
Cross-list(s): ENVSOCTY 4LW3
Antirequisite(s): GEOG 4LW3, LABRST 4F03