Overview
The Sociology of Work and Industry is a three-credit, senior-level course. The focus of this course is work: how it developed into its present forms; how it is organized; how individuals experience it; and the social relationships and institutional frameworks so essential for it to occur.
By critically examining key concepts, theories, and research findings in the sociology of work and industry, the course provides students with a deeper understanding of the dynamics of change and continuity, the basis for cooperation and conflict, and the varieties of human experiences in the world of work.
Learning outcomes
After completing this course, students should be able to:
- describe employment trends in Canada,
- explain the fragmentation of labour markets,
- give reasons why labour markets produce inequalities and insecurities,
- discuss the relations between paid and unpaid work,
- explain what management has to do with conflict and control in the workplace, and
- propose strategies to make work more equal, secure, and self-determined.
Evaluation
To receive credit for SOCI 321, you must complete four written assignments and achieve an overall grade of D (50 percent) or better for the entire course. Your final grade is determined by a weighted average of the grades you receive on these assignments for credit. The weightings of each assignment are as indicated below.
| Activity | Weight |
| Assignment 1: Research Memo on Labour Markets | 20% |
| Assignment 2: Essay on Paid and Unpaid Work | 20% |
| Assignment 3: Managerial Control and Workers’ Collective Action | 35% |
| Assignment 4: The Future of Work | 25% |
| Total | 100% |
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Digital course materials
Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:
Krahn, H. J., Hughes, K. D., & Lowe, G. S. (2021). Work, Industry, and Canadian Society (8th ed.). Top Hat Monocle.
Other Resources
All other learning resources will be available online, including a Course Information and a Study Guide.
Challenge for credit
Overview
The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.
Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.
Evaluation
To receive credit for the SOCI 321 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least D (50 percent) on the online examination.
| Activity | Weight |
| Online Examination | 100% |
| Total | 100% |
Challenge for credit course registration form