SST 295: Understanding Work in the UK

(Donna Vinter, Mark Montgomery), 2 credits, prerequisite: acceptance into regular internship. Enrollment cap: 12. Class discussions and assignments focus on understanding and interpreting students' internship experiences and those of their co-workers within the UK work environment. Topics include the meaning of work and changing definitions of work, the emergence of the culture of overwork and pressures that interfere with a viable work-life balance, the growth of the service economy and consequent increased importance of 'emotional labour' (work requiring one's emotional skills), the social costs of low pay, and the impact of EU legislation on the world of work in the UK. Class typically meets for 2 hours on Friday mornings, plus regular individual student meetings with the faculty internship supervisor. Course requirements include daily journal and research paper.