Weekly Schedules: |One |
Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine | Ten |
Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m, Seminar II A1107
Can there be justice in the workplace? In the second quarter of this program,
we'll look at the history of civil rights/anti-discrimination law as written
in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Civil Rights laws define a set of
workers' rights, but they also reflect the shape of power in society. These
texts were written by lawmakers, but in another sense, they were written
in the streets and workplaces during turbulent times. Class and racial
biases exist in, and are reproduced by, the laws and their practices. In
this program we'll look at the following questions: What social movements
and conditions brought the Civil Rights Act, especially Title VII, into
being? How did the struggles at their roots shape the laws? How do they
affect the workplace today? Are the laws effective, and for whom? We will
examine some related controversies, including affirmative action. Students
will become acquainted with critiques developed by scholars in critical
race theory, which help us think about power in the larger society and
alternative possibilities for justice. During the quarter, we will be especially
fortunate to welcome Rev. James Lawson as a special guest. Rev. Lawson
has a long history of leadership in civil rights, peace and labor movements,
from resistance to the Korean War, to the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike,
to current immigrant and low-wage worker struggles in southern California.
Be prepared for fun, active problem-solving and lots of hard work. Students
will learn to do, or continue to advance their skills, in basic legal and
historical research. You'll interpret historical events and the law together,
to understand larger social issues and future implications of cases and
legislation. You will get a sense of the real work of attorneys and courts,
but also the work of community activists and union stewards. Student projects
will focus on current workplace controversies relating to these laws. Though
there are no prerequisites, students should be prepared with some basic
background in 20th century American history and should have the patience
and persistence to read detailed history, statutes and legal cases. The
class will be particularly useful for those interested in careers in law,
labor organizing, history, social justice, public administration and management.
Students who are new to the program should contact faculty for a new student
assignment.
Spring Quarter books:
* Legal Research: How to Find & Understand the Law, by Stephen Elias,
Susan Levinkind, Richard Stim, Nolo Press Nolo Press, 14th edition, 2007
* Race, Gender, and Discrimination at Work, by Samuel Cohn, Westview Press,
2000
* Black Labor and the American Legal System : Race, Work, and the Law,
by Herbert Hill Univ. of Wisconsin Press, 1986
* Eyes on the Prize, by Juan Williams, (1988) Penguin USA, 2002 edition
* Critical Race Theory: An Introduction by Richard Delgado, Jean Stefancic,
Angela Harris, New York University Press, 2001
* From Direct Action to Affirmative Action : Fair Employment Law and Policy
in America, 1933-1972 by Paul D. Moreno, Louisiana State Univ. Press, 1999.
