Urbanisation, Work and Global Cities (DEVT90061)

This subject is aimed at understanding the contemporary nature of work in both rich and poor countries and to identify salient processes by which national economies and cities are interlinked. The underlying rationale is to critically examine how capitalism as an economic system is unfolding in different parts of the world, what kind of jobs are being created, and how local and international migration contribute to the rise of global cities in which increasingly precarious, informal forms of employment in a narrow milieu of high-paying, high-technology jobs coexist. Such labour market segmentation and inequality will be shown to result from the intrinsic structures and processes of contemporary capitalism, including but not limited to technological change, hiring practices, and the changing role of the state. Illustrations will be drawn from cities in both the OECD and developing countries.