Labor Studies
Jordan Pascoe
Director of the Program
Labor Studies is an interdisciplinary study of the nature and meaning of human work, the rights of workers, and the place of worker’s associations in international and intersectional contexts. The major and minor in Labor Studies draw on courses in the humanities, social sciences, business, and education. Although Labor Studies is available as a stand-alone major, students are encouraged to pursue a second major or minor in a traditional field of study.
The Labor Studies Program teaches students critical intellectual skills that will enable them to analyze social policy questions and help prepare them for careers in union organization and leadership, in government service, and in dispute resolution. It also prepares students to pursue graduate and professional studies in fields such as labor management, law, and human resources. Labor Studies is rooted in the Lasallian mission of “excellence in teaching, respect for individual dignity, and commitment to social justice,” in intersectional frameworks for theorizing social justice, and in Manhattan College’s long tradition of teaching students from working class families.
Requirements for Major
| LABR 201 | Labor Studies Colloquium | 3 |
| LABR 301 | Field Work | 3 |
| LABR 401 | Senior Seminar | 3 |
| Labor Studies Electives* | 21 | |
| Economics | ||
| International Economics | ||
| Political Science | ||
| POSC 319 | Government and Business: Political Economy | 3 |
| POSC 212 | Wall Street | 3 |
| History | ||
| POSC 420 | Senior Seminar: Conflict Resolution | 3 |
| History of the American Economy | ||
| US Labor Patterns and Movement | ||
| Science, Technology, and Society | ||
| Management | ||
| Talent Management & Acquisition | ||
| Negotiation & Conflict Mgmt | ||
| Philosophy | ||
| Marx and Marxism | ||
| Philosophers on Race, Class, and Gender | ||
| Psychology | ||
| Social Psychology | ||
| Industrial Psychology | ||
| Radiological and Health Services | ||
| Religious Studies | ||
| Catholic Social Teaching | ||
| RELS 238 | Theologies Of Liberation | 3 |
| Ethics in the Workplace | ||
| RELS 204 | Religion and Social Justice | 3 |
| Sociology | ||
| Capitalism | ||
| Social Inequalities | ||
| Power and Conflict | ||
| White Collar Crime | ||
| Total Credits | 45 | |
*Electives must be selected from at least 4 distinct disciplines.
Requirements for Minor
| LABR 201 | Labor Studies Colloquium | 3 |
| Labor Studies Electives | 12 | |
| International Economics | ||
| POSC 319 | Government and Business: Political Economy | 3 |
| POSC 212 | Wall Street | 3 |
| POSC 420 | Senior Seminar: Conflict Resolution | 3 |
| History of the American Economy | ||
| US Labor Patterns and Movement | ||
| Science, Technology, and Society | ||
| Talent Management & Acquisition | ||
| Negotiation & Conflict Mgmt | ||
| Marx and Marxism | ||
| Philosophers on Race, Class, and Gender | ||
| Social Psychology | ||
| Industrial Psychology | ||
| Catholic Social Teaching | ||
| RELS 238 | Theologies Of Liberation | 3 |
| Ethics in the Workplace | ||
| RELS 204 | Religion and Social Justice | 3 |
| Social Inequalities | ||
| Power and Conflict | ||
| White Collar Crime | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Courses
LABR 201. Labor Studies Colloquium. 3 Credits.
An interdisciplinary introduction to the nature, scope, and methodology of Labor Studies. Students will examine the problems and opportunities that a globalized economy poses for worker rights. Guest lectures by Labor Studies faculty members from the humanities and social sciences, business, and health services on specific topics and/or case studies. Site visits to select NYC historical landmarks such as Union Square, The Catholic Worker, and the site of the Triangle Fire.
LABR 301. Field Work. 3 Credits.
This course offers the student the opportunity to work with and observe a Social Movement Organization (SMO) that seeks justice for workers, consumers, tenants, and economically marginalized people of NYC and surrounding areas. Students will work with an organization for 6 hours per week, keep an intellectual diary of what was learned and experienced; and write a final paper on the SMO with which they worked. Permission of Director and placement through the Cooperative Education program.
LABR 375. Internship. 3 Credits.
Students participate in an off-campus training experience closely related to their area of study. Frequent meetings with the internship advisor and a paper are required. Internships are arranged through the Center for Career Development and must be approved in advance by the chair and the Dean of the School of Arts.
LABR 401. Senior Seminar. 3 Credits.
An interdisciplinary analysis of the field of Labor Studies in light of the diverse courses students have taken in their course of study. Students will be required to write a senior thesis on a particular problem, opportunity, or personality in Labor Studies that serves as a capstone for their courses in Labor Studies. Available only to majors and minors by permission of Director.
LABR 410. Independent Study. 1-3 Credit.
Available for students who wish to conduct in-depth research on a special topic in Labor Studies under the supervision of a faculty mentor. Permission of Director.
LABR 475. Internship. 3 Credits.
Students participate in an off-campus training experience closely related to their area of study. Frequent meetings with the internship advisor and a paper are required. Internships are arranged through the Center for Career Development and must be approved in advance by the chair and the Dean of the School of Arts. Open to majors only.