Precarity, Welfare, and Labor Rights after WWII

Precarity has always been a part of capitalist work relationships. Relatively secure employment and appropriate social benefits remain exceptions to the rule even in western systems to this day; they emerged from a specific global constellation during the 20th century. Today that model is in danger: workers´ benefits resulted from a series of successfully fought non-synchronous labor disputes of various groups of workers around the world. Many of the gains from these disputes were then picked up and carried on by political parties during their time and are now being questioned again to their very foundations.

The Precarity, Welfare, and Labor Rights after WWII summer school will contribute to this ongoing debate. Young scholars who are doing research on questions of precarity and precarization will be given a place in which to critically reflect these concepts. Learning which concepts are being discussed, how to find relevant literature, if one wants to include the libraries of the global South in one´s considerations: this is at the core of the envisioned discussion.

Subject fields under discussion might be:

  • Politics, unions and workers movements
  • Strike and other forms of organized collectivism
  • Precarious work and understandings of right and wrong
  • State regulation and charity (also in (post)colonial and (post)socialist regimes)
  • Precarious work in authoritarian states
  • Work and being out of work
  • Child labor, sex work and domestic work
  • Labor law and gender
  • Racism and precarization
     

Participants´ own projects on the subject of the summer school will be at the center during the duration of the school. Presenting research, working in small groups, listening to lectures, excursions and tours of industry will add to the discussion. Before the meetings during the summer school period, lists of texts will be distributed for reading and you will be asked for your commentary (digitally). Participants will learn to analyze, synthesize, and visualize results for a broader public. A cultural and social program will be offered.