Time Schedule:
James N Gregory
HSTAA 353
Seattle Campus
The history of workers and class formation form early industrialization to the present. Emphasizes the interaction of class with race, ethnicity, gender, and political culture within the context of American economic development. Explores the role of unions, labor politics, and radical movements.
Class description
This course explores the themes of work, class, and labor movements in American history from the Colonial Era to the present. The stages of American industrialization and class formation, changes in racial, ethnic, and gender relations and in the values of work, leisure, and consumerism are among the issues to be considered.
The course is also about the politics of labor and class. Attempts to organize working people into labor unions or political parties date back to the 1820s. We will explore the many faces of organized labor and American radicalism seeking to understand what is often said to be America's unique hostility to class-based ideologies and organizations. The course concludes with a consideration of contemporary patterns of social inequality and the current fate of organized labor.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Recommended preparation
No prerequisites.
Class assignments and grading
Midterm, final, 3 page paper, and 7-10 page research paper (or service learning option).
