Labour markets and globalization

The purpose of the course in 'Labour Markets and Globalization" is to provide, from a socio-economic perspective, an overview of the major changes that are taking place in the contemporary capitalism, adopting globalization as a process of unifying the labour market in different national contexts. In the light of the relevant literature and contraposition between theories, the aim is also that students acquire knowledge and understanding of some crucial issues. Firstly, we consider the growing role of the service sectors in the economy, the process of outsourcing with all its implications and dilemmas for work and employment and the notion of Global Value Chain. Secondly, we analyse the role of the transnational companies and their strategies in developed and developing countries. Thirdly, we explore the role of digital technologies and platforms in regulating labour markets and the effects of IT in creation or destruction of jobs. The migration processes are also considered as a global aspect of labour market transformation.

From the knowledge perspective, at the end of the course the student must have acquired disciplinary skills linked to the interpretative theories of globalization from the point of view of socio-economic sciences. In terms of skills, it is expected that the student will be able to develop critical competences on the ambiguous theme of the processes of globalization of work, of its contradictory effects on inequalities in the labor market. Furthermore, we expect the student become familiar with the inter-disciplinary connections, especially with labour economics, labour law, social policies and welfare states. The course will develop skills on the main supranational sources of data on companies and employment (Labour Force Surveys) and on the major Annual Reports of non-governmental organizations such as ILO, EC, OECD, EUROFOUND, CEDEFOP etc. The course stimulates also a quite good critical ability, deriving from the recall during the lessons of the interpretative aspects more than merely descriptive, the policy implications, the open problems, though a discussion in class and the continuous search for pertinent examples. Finally we encourage communication skills, through the presentation (individually or in small groups) of short reports in class (in PP) on limited assigned topics, articles or case studies; a fairly good synthesis ability, favoured during the lesson by a continuous recall of the salient points of the treated topics.