CRPs are due Friday, April. 4, 2008 between 12 pm and 5 pm. I'll be at my office -- South Ross 710 -- between those hours and you are to come in person and hand in your CRP papers to me any time between those hours. If you have a class between those times, it won't be for the full five hours so I am sure you can all find 5 minutes to come and drop off your papers. If I am not there when you arrive please wait five minutes or so because I might have gone to grab food or something and will return within 5 minutes.
I'll be leaving at 5 pm on the dot, so any papers not handed in to me by then will be considered late and I'll automatically be deducting half a grade per day that it is late. I need to get marks in by early next week and you need to finish the course and move on so it's good for both of us that you all hand in your papers tomorrow.
If you want to receive your papers back with my comments, please also bring along a self-addressed and stamped envelope (manila envelope is best) with your papers so I can mail them back to you once they are marked. If you don't bring me an envelope already stamped I won't be mailing them back to you and you won't receive my comments on your paper, just your final mark for the course. If you hand in your paper late you also won't receive comments back from me, just the final grade.
Good luck!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
CRP now due on Friday, April 4th
Because April 3rd is the last day of classes and is a make up day for Monday classes, I believe, the CRPs will now be due between 12-2 pm in room South Ross 710 on Friday, April 4th. This means you get an extra day with them. Please make a note of this change on your calendars.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
No Sweat Policy Victory!
For immediate release:
Just a few hours ago York University President Mamdouh Shoukri made a
commitment to introduce a No Sweat policy at the university by April.
"The policy will be at least as progressive as U of T and other
universities, if not more,"
said the President. "If other universities have had this policy and
withstood the test of time, I don't see why we can't do it too."
This is the result of a 45 hour sit-in by members of the Sustainable
Purchasing Coalition (SPC) and their supporters. The SPC is a student
group that has been lobbying for such a policy for the past 3 years.
"We are exhausted but overjoyed, this is the commitment we were
looking for and it's great to hear it after all the work that we've
put into it, not only over the last few days but over the past three
years," said Besmira Alikaj, one of the students participating in the
sit-in.
The Sustainable Purchasing Coalition held a rally Thursday asking the
university to adopt their proposed No Sweat policy. Prior to the
rally, the SPC had circulated a petition asking for student support
for the proposed policy. By the end of the rally, over a thousand
signatures had been collected. Immediately following the rally, the
SPC attempted to deliver the petitions to President Shoukri.
Dozens of students from the rally marched over to the President's
office at 2pm on Thursday. When they were told the President was
unavailable to see them, the students decided to stay. On 24-hour
security watch, the students camped outside the president's office for
45 hours.
At 10am Saturday morning Shoukri finally showed up and asked the
students to sit down and talk about their demands. It was at this
point that Shoukri made his commitments to the students.
"We hope this meeting will set a precedent for future interactions
between students and York administration", said Alikaj.
A second meeting between the SPC and President Shoukri will take place
Monday.
Just a few hours ago York University President Mamdouh Shoukri made a
commitment to introduce a No Sweat policy at the university by April.
"The policy will be at least as progressive as U of T and other
universities, if not more,"
said the President. "If other universities have had this policy and
withstood the test of time, I don't see why we can't do it too."
This is the result of a 45 hour sit-in by members of the Sustainable
Purchasing Coalition (SPC) and their supporters. The SPC is a student
group that has been lobbying for such a policy for the past 3 years.
"We are exhausted but overjoyed, this is the commitment we were
looking for and it's great to hear it after all the work that we've
put into it, not only over the last few days but over the past three
years," said Besmira Alikaj, one of the students participating in the
sit-in.
The Sustainable Purchasing Coalition held a rally Thursday asking the
university to adopt their proposed No Sweat policy. Prior to the
rally, the SPC had circulated a petition asking for student support
for the proposed policy. By the end of the rally, over a thousand
signatures had been collected. Immediately following the rally, the
SPC attempted to deliver the petitions to President Shoukri.
Dozens of students from the rally marched over to the President's
office at 2pm on Thursday. When they were told the President was
unavailable to see them, the students decided to stay. On 24-hour
security watch, the students camped outside the president's office for
45 hours.
At 10am Saturday morning Shoukri finally showed up and asked the
students to sit down and talk about their demands. It was at this
point that Shoukri made his commitments to the students.
"We hope this meeting will set a precedent for future interactions
between students and York administration", said Alikaj.
A second meeting between the SPC and President Shoukri will take place
Monday.
No Sweat Policy at York: The Sustainable Purchasing Coalition
Please read the following communications:
1. A message from the current sit-in outside the President's Office
2. Letter of support from the Ontario Federation of Labour
1. A message from the Sustainable Purchasing Coalition and its supporters
The Sustainable Purchasing Coalition (SPC) has been negotiating a No
Sweat policy with the university for 3 years. Prior to the creation of
the SPC, previous York students had also pushed for the creation of a
policy. Students have been waiting a long time for the York
administration to make good on their statements of intent and
good-will. The University of Toronto has had a No Sweat policy for 8
years while York is still lacking.
It is true that the SPC has been negotiating a draft policy with the
VP Students, Procurement services, and the Office of the Counsel.
However, this process has been led by the Office of the Counsel who
has consistently pushed for the most basic, bare-bones policy, even
though the SPC presented a thorough and workable draft that provides
many more assurances that the workers producing York apparel are
treated in a fair and humane manner. The draft presented by the SPC
was immediately rejected by the Office of the Counsel and was replaced
with an alternative which allowed for forced labour (including prison
labour) and only required licensees to follow the laws of the country
of manufacture in regards to wages, health and safety, hours worked,
and overtime. This is grossly inadequate as many countries have
incredibly lenient laws in these areas.
Furthermore, the Office of the Counsel has indicated that they intend
to sign on with the Fair Labour Association, an industry-led watchdog
group which monitors factory conditions to ensure no abuses are taking
place. While the SPC feels this is an appropriate piece of an
effective policy it is insufficient without also signing on to the
Worker's Rights Consortium, a completely independent monitoring
organization. Using factories that are members of both the Worker's
Rights Consortium and the Fair Labour Association would offer the most
thorough protection for the workers manufacturing York apparel. There
is nothing preventing the university from signing on to both agencies,
but the Office of the Counsel has not given adequate consideration to
the request to sign on to both agenceis.
The sit-in that is currently taking place outside of the President's
office is a product of frustration with the administration's years of
delays which have only now resulted in a basic policy which provides
only the most minimum assurances for the fair treatment of workers.
There is nothing preventing the university from adopting a strict code
of conduct for licensees as presented by the Sustainable Purchasing
Coalition as well as signing on to both the Fair Labour Association
AND the Worker's Rights Consortium (as both the University of Toronto
and Ryerson have).
If York is in fact dedicated to the principles of fair labour, social
justice, and sustainability then it should not be a problem for
President Shoukri to make a statement to the 1000+ students who signed
the petition presented by the SPC calling for these policies to be
implemented. Especially when his Executive Officer informed us that he
was in meetings on campus today.
With respects,
The Sustainable Purchasing Coaition and the many of those who have
voiced their support
2. Support Letter from the Ontario Federation of Labour
March 7, 2008
TO: The York Sustainable Purchasing Coalition
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
On behalf of the over 700,000 members of the Ontario Federation of
Labour, I send greetings of solidarity from the trade union movement
in Ontario. I applaud your actions to ensure that all York apparel is
produced in a manner that conforms to high labour standards. In the 21
century, no worker should be toiling in sub-standard working
conditions, and earning sub-standard wages.
Unfortunately, we know that millions of workers around the world still
work in sweatshops or earn shamefully low wages. We also know that
sweatshop labour is not a problem that exists elsewhere. This problem
exists right here in Canada and across North America. Even today, too
many employers circumvent labour standards and deny workers basic
rights and benefits on the job.
York University is a publicly funded institution and as such, it
should be setting the standard for ethical practices. The university
should insist that high labour standards are applied to all products
sold bearing its name. Other universities in Canada have adopted
no-sweat policies; it is disgraceful that York University is resisting
such standards.
Workers across Ontario stand with you in your fight for a substantive
and meaningful "no-sweat" policy at York University.
But we also call on the Ontario government to increase the minimum
wage immediately to $10 per hour and to ensure that it increases every
year.
Your courageous actions are taking place on the eve of the 100th
anniversary of International Women's Day-the Day that commemorates the
fifteen thousand immigrant women garment workers who marched through
the streets of New York demanding higher pay, shorter work hours, the
right to vote and an end to child labour. Today we are calling for
much the same thing-a living wage for all, high standards for
workplace health and safety, pay equity and high quality,
publicly-funded child care.
Your actions are part of the ongoing struggle for justice here and
around the world, without which we would not have made the progress we
have. We salute and applaud your actions and send our heartfelt
solidarity.
In peace and solidarity,
Terry Downey,
Executive Vice President
Ontario Federation of Labour
1. A message from the current sit-in outside the President's Office
2. Letter of support from the Ontario Federation of Labour
1. A message from the Sustainable Purchasing Coalition and its supporters
The Sustainable Purchasing Coalition (SPC) has been negotiating a No
Sweat policy with the university for 3 years. Prior to the creation of
the SPC, previous York students had also pushed for the creation of a
policy. Students have been waiting a long time for the York
administration to make good on their statements of intent and
good-will. The University of Toronto has had a No Sweat policy for 8
years while York is still lacking.
It is true that the SPC has been negotiating a draft policy with the
VP Students, Procurement services, and the Office of the Counsel.
However, this process has been led by the Office of the Counsel who
has consistently pushed for the most basic, bare-bones policy, even
though the SPC presented a thorough and workable draft that provides
many more assurances that the workers producing York apparel are
treated in a fair and humane manner. The draft presented by the SPC
was immediately rejected by the Office of the Counsel and was replaced
with an alternative which allowed for forced labour (including prison
labour) and only required licensees to follow the laws of the country
of manufacture in regards to wages, health and safety, hours worked,
and overtime. This is grossly inadequate as many countries have
incredibly lenient laws in these areas.
Furthermore, the Office of the Counsel has indicated that they intend
to sign on with the Fair Labour Association, an industry-led watchdog
group which monitors factory conditions to ensure no abuses are taking
place. While the SPC feels this is an appropriate piece of an
effective policy it is insufficient without also signing on to the
Worker's Rights Consortium, a completely independent monitoring
organization. Using factories that are members of both the Worker's
Rights Consortium and the Fair Labour Association would offer the most
thorough protection for the workers manufacturing York apparel. There
is nothing preventing the university from signing on to both agencies,
but the Office of the Counsel has not given adequate consideration to
the request to sign on to both agenceis.
The sit-in that is currently taking place outside of the President's
office is a product of frustration with the administration's years of
delays which have only now resulted in a basic policy which provides
only the most minimum assurances for the fair treatment of workers.
There is nothing preventing the university from adopting a strict code
of conduct for licensees as presented by the Sustainable Purchasing
Coalition as well as signing on to both the Fair Labour Association
AND the Worker's Rights Consortium (as both the University of Toronto
and Ryerson have).
If York is in fact dedicated to the principles of fair labour, social
justice, and sustainability then it should not be a problem for
President Shoukri to make a statement to the 1000+ students who signed
the petition presented by the SPC calling for these policies to be
implemented. Especially when his Executive Officer informed us that he
was in meetings on campus today.
With respects,
The Sustainable Purchasing Coaition and the many of those who have
voiced their support
2. Support Letter from the Ontario Federation of Labour
March 7, 2008
TO: The York Sustainable Purchasing Coalition
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
On behalf of the over 700,000 members of the Ontario Federation of
Labour, I send greetings of solidarity from the trade union movement
in Ontario. I applaud your actions to ensure that all York apparel is
produced in a manner that conforms to high labour standards. In the 21
century, no worker should be toiling in sub-standard working
conditions, and earning sub-standard wages.
Unfortunately, we know that millions of workers around the world still
work in sweatshops or earn shamefully low wages. We also know that
sweatshop labour is not a problem that exists elsewhere. This problem
exists right here in Canada and across North America. Even today, too
many employers circumvent labour standards and deny workers basic
rights and benefits on the job.
York University is a publicly funded institution and as such, it
should be setting the standard for ethical practices. The university
should insist that high labour standards are applied to all products
sold bearing its name. Other universities in Canada have adopted
no-sweat policies; it is disgraceful that York University is resisting
such standards.
Workers across Ontario stand with you in your fight for a substantive
and meaningful "no-sweat" policy at York University.
But we also call on the Ontario government to increase the minimum
wage immediately to $10 per hour and to ensure that it increases every
year.
Your courageous actions are taking place on the eve of the 100th
anniversary of International Women's Day-the Day that commemorates the
fifteen thousand immigrant women garment workers who marched through
the streets of New York demanding higher pay, shorter work hours, the
right to vote and an end to child labour. Today we are calling for
much the same thing-a living wage for all, high standards for
workplace health and safety, pay equity and high quality,
publicly-funded child care.
Your actions are part of the ongoing struggle for justice here and
around the world, without which we would not have made the progress we
have. We salute and applaud your actions and send our heartfelt
solidarity.
In peace and solidarity,
Terry Downey,
Executive Vice President
Ontario Federation of Labour
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Class Presentaton Instructions, Contemporary Research Paper Instructions, and Other Links
I have just posted the instructions you will need for the assignments that you are to work on for the remainder of the semester. You can access these instructions by going here, or to the link in the "Course Requirements" section of this blog.
For the presentation timetables (that is, to see when you are presenting) and more information and instructions specifically related to your presentatons, go here.
I have also posted my optional extended essay on Argentina's worker-recovered enterprises here, or you can access it by going to the link in the "Lecture and Seminar Supplements" section of the blog.
For the presentation timetables (that is, to see when you are presenting) and more information and instructions specifically related to your presentatons, go here.
I have also posted my optional extended essay on Argentina's worker-recovered enterprises here, or you can access it by going to the link in the "Lecture and Seminar Supplements" section of the blog.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Week 18 Lecture Notes Available
I've made available for you my lecture notes from last week's seminar on Craig Chapter's 3 and 4, also connecting them with Quarter Ch. 2. I've uploaded my notes to the blog and you can download the PDF from here, or by going to the "Lecture and Seminar Supplement" section of this blog.
In the lecture notes I guide you through these two crucial chapters and point out the important parts to focus on, key points you should understand well, and questions you should be able to answer.
NOTE: As I stated to you last week in class, these chapters, as well as Craig's Ch. 2 and parts of Quarter Chs. 1 and 2, and our understanding of the "social economy" to date, are crucial for you doing a good job in your Alternative Firm Analysis paper , as well as for completing your term projects on your firms successfully. So study them using the strategies I've been showing you in class. In other words, as I've been suggesting to you for the past few weeks, you should be incorporating relevant parts of Craig's, Quarter's, and the social economists' analyses (and any other relevant sources from the course) directly into your forthcoming papers and presentation; remember they are tools you can use for understanding your firms better.
So, look over your AFA paper you're going to hand in tomorrow to see if you've effectively incorporated course materials and, in particular, Craig's analysis, into your papers. For example, where might Craig's analysis of values and ideologies and organizational structures of coops (Ch. 2), segmental cooperatives (Ch. 3), or comprehensive coops (Ch. 4) apply to your firm? Again, you can use my lecture notes from last week, as well as the notes I made available to you from Week 16 and Week 17 for guidance.
Good luck in completing the AFA's!
In the lecture notes I guide you through these two crucial chapters and point out the important parts to focus on, key points you should understand well, and questions you should be able to answer.
NOTE: As I stated to you last week in class, these chapters, as well as Craig's Ch. 2 and parts of Quarter Chs. 1 and 2, and our understanding of the "social economy" to date, are crucial for you doing a good job in your Alternative Firm Analysis paper , as well as for completing your term projects on your firms successfully. So study them using the strategies I've been showing you in class. In other words, as I've been suggesting to you for the past few weeks, you should be incorporating relevant parts of Craig's, Quarter's, and the social economists' analyses (and any other relevant sources from the course) directly into your forthcoming papers and presentation; remember they are tools you can use for understanding your firms better.
So, look over your AFA paper you're going to hand in tomorrow to see if you've effectively incorporated course materials and, in particular, Craig's analysis, into your papers. For example, where might Craig's analysis of values and ideologies and organizational structures of coops (Ch. 2), segmental cooperatives (Ch. 3), or comprehensive coops (Ch. 4) apply to your firm? Again, you can use my lecture notes from last week, as well as the notes I made available to you from Week 16 and Week 17 for guidance.
Good luck in completing the AFA's!
Upcoming Essay Workshops - Centre for Academic Writing
THE ARTS CENTRE FOR ACADEMIC WRITING COURSES
The Centre is offering a number of group workshops dealing with the major elements of effective essay writing. All Arts students are welcome to enrol. We ask that you announce these course offerings to your classes.
THE REGISTRATION DATES FOR EACH OF THE FOLLOWING GROUP WORKSHOPS WILL BE POSTED IN THE CENTRE, ROOM S329, ROSS. STUDENTS ARE ADVISED THAT SPACE FILLS QUICKLY SO THAT SPEEDY ENROLMENT IS NECESSARY.
A. ESSAY 101
This workshop is a primer for essay writing. It will look at the journey from the writer-focused rough draft to the reader-focused essay, and offer strategies for each step along the way. Monday February 25 @ 1:30 OR Thursday February 28 @ 2:30.
B. HOW TO DEVELOP A THESIS
This one-hour session will help you get a good start on your essays. Learn how to develop an effective thesis statement that tells the reader where you are headed. Wednesday February 27 @ 10:30 OR Monday February 28 @ 10:30.
C. ELIMINATING BASIC SENTENCE ERRORS
Do your essays come back with comments such as sentence fragment, run-on sentence, comma splice, or short choppy sentences? Learn to recognize and correct some of the most common errors of sentence structure. Monday February 25 @ 12:30 OR Tuesday February 26 @ 12:30.
D. COMMAS AND CONJUNCTIONS
A sentence rises or falls on commas and conjunctions. This session will reveal what they are and what they do. Thursday February 28 @ 1:30.
E. EFFECTIVE BUSINESS WRITING STRATEGIES
This short course is meant to give you some tips for becoming a more concise and effective
business writer, using the principle of plain writing for your audience in American standard vernacular English. Thursday February 28 @ 12:30.
Please turn over . . .
F. EFFECTIVE EDITING
Do you lose precious essay marks due to grammatical and stylistic errors? The Effective Editing Workshop will teach you to analyze your work logically and systematically to improve the quality and consistency of all your academic assignments. You will learn to assess content, correct common errors and proof-read for accuracy. This is a hands-on workshop, so bring a writing sample and be ready to use what you learn right away! Wednesday February 27 @ 1:30.
G. EFFECTIVE WEB SEARCHING STRATEGIES
In this workshop, we will work on search strategies to find potentially useful resources for research papers. We will focus on reviewing some internet searching sites, looking at the basic differences between search engines and directories, and trying several effective search strategies, in particular with Google. Finally, we will suggest some techniques for organizing and managing complex searches. Tuesday February 26 @ 11:30.
H. ESSENTIALS OF DIGITAL REFERENCING
This module applies the concepts of bibliographic citation and cocumentation to digital and electronic sources. We offer a basic understanding of the requirements for academic citation. We will provide a number of examples in the two most common referencing styles, MLA and APA. Our presentation will also familiarize students with RefWorks, the online York Libraries-based referencing software. Wednesday February 27 @ 12:30.
J. INTEGRATING WORD IN THE WRITING PROCESS
In this workshop we consider the effective use of several digital tools and modes offered by Microsoft Word for academic writing. The objective is to explain the benefits of word processing in academic writing to demonstrate the potential of this computer-based medium. We follow the four principles that the process of writing is individual, that successful writers write recursively, they revise their work, and they share their writing. Wednesday February 27 @ 2:30.
K. EVALUATING WEB SOURCES FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES
In this workshop we will demonstrate successful strategies for evaluating the credibility of internet sources that students will encounter. We will introduce a set of criteria for classification that will enable students to quickly and easily rank the quality and potential usefulness of electronic resources. Thursday February 28 @ 11:30.
Students are welcome to enrol in any one or all of the above mini-courses, but please remind them that their signature is their commitment to attend.
For a copy of this flyer go to http://www.arts.yorku.ca/caw
The Centre is offering a number of group workshops dealing with the major elements of effective essay writing. All Arts students are welcome to enrol. We ask that you announce these course offerings to your classes.
THE REGISTRATION DATES FOR EACH OF THE FOLLOWING GROUP WORKSHOPS WILL BE POSTED IN THE CENTRE, ROOM S329, ROSS. STUDENTS ARE ADVISED THAT SPACE FILLS QUICKLY SO THAT SPEEDY ENROLMENT IS NECESSARY.
A. ESSAY 101
This workshop is a primer for essay writing. It will look at the journey from the writer-focused rough draft to the reader-focused essay, and offer strategies for each step along the way. Monday February 25 @ 1:30 OR Thursday February 28 @ 2:30.
B. HOW TO DEVELOP A THESIS
This one-hour session will help you get a good start on your essays. Learn how to develop an effective thesis statement that tells the reader where you are headed. Wednesday February 27 @ 10:30 OR Monday February 28 @ 10:30.
C. ELIMINATING BASIC SENTENCE ERRORS
Do your essays come back with comments such as sentence fragment, run-on sentence, comma splice, or short choppy sentences? Learn to recognize and correct some of the most common errors of sentence structure. Monday February 25 @ 12:30 OR Tuesday February 26 @ 12:30.
D. COMMAS AND CONJUNCTIONS
A sentence rises or falls on commas and conjunctions. This session will reveal what they are and what they do. Thursday February 28 @ 1:30.
E. EFFECTIVE BUSINESS WRITING STRATEGIES
This short course is meant to give you some tips for becoming a more concise and effective
business writer, using the principle of plain writing for your audience in American standard vernacular English. Thursday February 28 @ 12:30.
Please turn over . . .
F. EFFECTIVE EDITING
Do you lose precious essay marks due to grammatical and stylistic errors? The Effective Editing Workshop will teach you to analyze your work logically and systematically to improve the quality and consistency of all your academic assignments. You will learn to assess content, correct common errors and proof-read for accuracy. This is a hands-on workshop, so bring a writing sample and be ready to use what you learn right away! Wednesday February 27 @ 1:30.
G. EFFECTIVE WEB SEARCHING STRATEGIES
In this workshop, we will work on search strategies to find potentially useful resources for research papers. We will focus on reviewing some internet searching sites, looking at the basic differences between search engines and directories, and trying several effective search strategies, in particular with Google. Finally, we will suggest some techniques for organizing and managing complex searches. Tuesday February 26 @ 11:30.
H. ESSENTIALS OF DIGITAL REFERENCING
This module applies the concepts of bibliographic citation and cocumentation to digital and electronic sources. We offer a basic understanding of the requirements for academic citation. We will provide a number of examples in the two most common referencing styles, MLA and APA. Our presentation will also familiarize students with RefWorks, the online York Libraries-based referencing software. Wednesday February 27 @ 12:30.
J. INTEGRATING WORD IN THE WRITING PROCESS
In this workshop we consider the effective use of several digital tools and modes offered by Microsoft Word for academic writing. The objective is to explain the benefits of word processing in academic writing to demonstrate the potential of this computer-based medium. We follow the four principles that the process of writing is individual, that successful writers write recursively, they revise their work, and they share their writing. Wednesday February 27 @ 2:30.
K. EVALUATING WEB SOURCES FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES
In this workshop we will demonstrate successful strategies for evaluating the credibility of internet sources that students will encounter. We will introduce a set of criteria for classification that will enable students to quickly and easily rank the quality and potential usefulness of electronic resources. Thursday February 28 @ 11:30.
Students are welcome to enrol in any one or all of the above mini-courses, but please remind them that their signature is their commitment to attend.
For a copy of this flyer go to http://www.arts.yorku.ca/caw
Monday, January 28, 2008
Updates for Week 18's seminar
New Reading for Week
OK, so, as I told you I'd be doing last class, I've made one change for this week's readings (reflected in the updated Lecture, Reading, and Assignment Schedule for Winter 2008): Craig's Chapter 4 is now optional; in its place I've added Quarter Chapter 2. You can download this reading as a PDF from the "Lecture and Seminar Supplements" section of the blog (down right hand navigation bar under "Week 18"), or from here. Give it time to download and download it from a fast connection, it's an 8.5 meg file (apologies, that's what we get for scanning it, but should take less than a minute to download). Let me know if you can't download it BEFORE Thursday and I'll try to send you a zipped copy.
Suggestions for How to Prepare this Week
Here are some suggestions for what you should be focusing on for this week's readings:
*Craig Ch. 3 - a) know what a "service cooperative" is; b) "Contributions to the Economy" section (pp. 93-101) and "Why is the Potential Not Realized"section (pp. 101-102).
*Craig Ch 4 - a) read quickly through pp. 107-115 (you should recognize some of this description from Melnyk); b) spend most of your time in the "Analysis" section (pp. 115-127).
*Quarter Ch 2 - make sure you understand Quarter's 7 "models of cooperative organization". This will be important for understanding where your coop/alt. org. fits into the social economy in Canada.
Lastly, a general reading tip for this course: Read the examples quickly (but DO read these sections too...) and focus on, underline, and think hard about the theories and concepts and analysis put forward by the authors; these will be invaluable for your semester research work on your firms.
Other Sundry Issues
For those of you that I promised I'd talk with on the phone, please give me a call tomorrow or Wednesda and we'll discuss what we need to discuss then. For those of you that want to meet with me to discuss your papers due next week, I'll be available briefly after class, so come and see me. You can also call me all of next week if you need assistance with anything.
OK, so, as I told you I'd be doing last class, I've made one change for this week's readings (reflected in the updated Lecture, Reading, and Assignment Schedule for Winter 2008): Craig's Chapter 4 is now optional; in its place I've added Quarter Chapter 2. You can download this reading as a PDF from the "Lecture and Seminar Supplements" section of the blog (down right hand navigation bar under "Week 18"), or from here. Give it time to download and download it from a fast connection, it's an 8.5 meg file (apologies, that's what we get for scanning it, but should take less than a minute to download). Let me know if you can't download it BEFORE Thursday and I'll try to send you a zipped copy.
Suggestions for How to Prepare this Week
Here are some suggestions for what you should be focusing on for this week's readings:
*Craig Ch. 3 - a) know what a "service cooperative" is; b) "Contributions to the Economy" section (pp. 93-101) and "Why is the Potential Not Realized"section (pp. 101-102).
*Craig Ch 4 - a) read quickly through pp. 107-115 (you should recognize some of this description from Melnyk); b) spend most of your time in the "Analysis" section (pp. 115-127).
*Quarter Ch 2 - make sure you understand Quarter's 7 "models of cooperative organization". This will be important for understanding where your coop/alt. org. fits into the social economy in Canada.
Lastly, a general reading tip for this course: Read the examples quickly (but DO read these sections too...) and focus on, underline, and think hard about the theories and concepts and analysis put forward by the authors; these will be invaluable for your semester research work on your firms.
Other Sundry Issues
For those of you that I promised I'd talk with on the phone, please give me a call tomorrow or Wednesda and we'll discuss what we need to discuss then. For those of you that want to meet with me to discuss your papers due next week, I'll be available briefly after class, so come and see me. You can also call me all of next week if you need assistance with anything.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Research forms and other documents posted...
I've uploaded the forms you'll need for your interviews on the blog. Go to the new "Required Research Documents" section in the right hand navigation column to download the Word docs.
Also, you'll notice that I have uploaded the two charts, one from last week and one from this week, as promised, in the "Lecture and Seminar Supplements" section. Again, you'll find this in the right hand navigation column.
Also, you'll notice that I have uploaded the two charts, one from last week and one from this week, as promised, in the "Lecture and Seminar Supplements" section. Again, you'll find this in the right hand navigation column.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Alternative Firm Analysis Instructions
Go here to find out the requirements and specific instructions for the Alternative Firm Analysis project due on February 7.
Or, see the "Course Requirements" section in the right navigation bar.
Or, see the "Course Requirements" section in the right navigation bar.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Course kits, books, and articles for Winter 2008
Here is the latest regarding the status of the course kit, books, and articles for the Winter 2008 semester:
The course kit for this semester will be available in the bookstore by the middle of next week. It is $16.00. There are a few copies of the Briscoe & Ward's book Helping Ourselves in the bookstore, more will be arriving by the middle of next week I was told by the bookstore yesterday. John C. Craig's book, The Nature of Co-operation, will also be arriving by the middle of next week. The first reading from these two books is from Craig's book on Jan. 17 (Week 16) (see the Winter 2008 lecture and reading schedule for more details).
As far as readings from the Winter 2008 course kit, there are two readings from it that are for next week, the required Linda McDowell reading "Father and Ford Revisited" and the optional but highly recommended David Harvey reading on Fordism and flexible accumulation (these are readings for Week 15, see the Winter 2008 lecture and reading schedule for more details). Here is a PDF version of McDowell's piece you can download for your reading for next week: McDowell, Linda,"Father and Ford Revisited: Gender, Class, and Employment Change in the New Millennium". I will be uploading Harvey's piece so you can download it as well later on today after I scan it.
Also for next week, you'll find the Louis Favreau piece in the Fall 2007 course kit; it's the last article. And, of course, the Cavanagh & Mander and Ellwood chapters are in the books.
Again, stay tuned for the Harvey piece which I will post later on today.
The course kit for this semester will be available in the bookstore by the middle of next week. It is $16.00. There are a few copies of the Briscoe & Ward's book Helping Ourselves in the bookstore, more will be arriving by the middle of next week I was told by the bookstore yesterday. John C. Craig's book, The Nature of Co-operation, will also be arriving by the middle of next week. The first reading from these two books is from Craig's book on Jan. 17 (Week 16) (see the Winter 2008 lecture and reading schedule for more details).
As far as readings from the Winter 2008 course kit, there are two readings from it that are for next week, the required Linda McDowell reading "Father and Ford Revisited" and the optional but highly recommended David Harvey reading on Fordism and flexible accumulation (these are readings for Week 15, see the Winter 2008 lecture and reading schedule for more details). Here is a PDF version of McDowell's piece you can download for your reading for next week: McDowell, Linda,"Father and Ford Revisited: Gender, Class, and Employment Change in the New Millennium". I will be uploading Harvey's piece so you can download it as well later on today after I scan it.
Also for next week, you'll find the Louis Favreau piece in the Fall 2007 course kit; it's the last article. And, of course, the Cavanagh & Mander and Ellwood chapters are in the books.
Again, stay tuned for the Harvey piece which I will post later on today.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)