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The Corporation and the Gig-Economy (ANTH30021)
Undergraduate level 3Points: 12.5Not available in 2021
Please refer to the return to campus page for more information on these delivery modes and students who can enrol in each mode based on their location.
Overview
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In the age of automation, working means either getting endless, short terms, and precarious “gigs,” or becoming part of massive international corporations. This subject explores the relations and tensions between these two worlds, focusing on recent ethnographic work on the gig-economy and large companies (Coca-Cola, Ford, Philip Morris, Dow Chemical, Chevron-Texaco). Considering the cultural dynamics internal to multinational corporations as well as the social processes that generated a precarious economic landscape after the 1970s, the subject describes how these new spaces of work interact with, influence, and are shaped by community life, often in situations of significant power imbalance. With the help of guest speakers from the corporate sector and activists, we pay particular attention to the methodological and ethical challenges of carrying out research on, for, and within corporations or in the gig-economy. Case studies are drawn from India, PNG, Ecuador, Indonesia, the United States, Brazil, Eastern Europe, Italy, Japan, and South Africa.
Intended learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of the subject, students should:
- Demonstrate a detailed knowledge and understanding of how anthropologists approach work and corporations as an object of study.
- Critically analyze and compare theories about the diverse social and cultural meanings that work and corporations have been accorded at different times and at different places.
- Understand how to use ethnographic evidence to critically evaluate large-scale claims about corporate social responsability.
- Demonstrate an appreciation of the ethical and methodological challenges of 'studying up,' with a particular focus on the strengths, limitations, and challenges of conducting ethnographic fieldwork in corporate settings.
- Communicate effectively in written and oral formats, and collaborate in groups with people of diverse disciplinary and cultural backgrounds.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
ANTH10001 Anthropology: Studying Human Diversity
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Assessment
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Essay
| Mid semester | 40% |
Research Essay
| During the examination period | 60% |
Hurdle requirement: Students must attend a minimum of 75% of tutorials in order to pass this subject. All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject. Hurdle requirement: Hurdle requirement: Students must attend a minimum of 75% of tutorials in order to pass this subject. All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject. | Throughout the semester | N/A |
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Dates & times
Not available in 2021
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
There are no specifically prescribed or recommended texts for this subject.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 3 November 2022