Economy and Society

This course examines economic life from a sociological perspective, looking beyond abstract representations of production and exchange to consider the social relations of those living and labouring under different circumstances. It introduces students to key strands of social theory that help us understand how social inequalities are produced, reproduced, and contested via the world of work and its organisation at local and global scales. Focussing on class, gender, and race/ethnicity - as well as their intersectionality - students will develop a critical awareness of 'who does what' in the global economy, why some forms of work (whether paid or unpaid) are valued more than others, and how material deprivation and social disadvantage are mutually reproduced. We will consider key issues relating to the transition from industrial to post-industrial societies in the Global North, while working to de-centre Eurocentric perspectives by resituating key debates in Global South contexts where the majority of the world live and work.