Towards the end of the last century, Western labour studies reached a consensus that labour unrest had significantly diminished, if not ceased altogether. The workers' movement appeared to be dormant, overshadowed by other struggles such as those against racism or the anti-nuclear movement. However, in 2005, sociologist Beverly Silver challenged this perspective by examining labour unrest from a global and historical standpoint. She demonstrated that struggles against harsh working conditions, for higher wages or social recognition had not truly disappeared but had rather shifted on a global scale. She illustrated how the primary locations of labour unrest have shifted from one country to another alongside changes in the geographical locations of production and political, economic and social processes linked to the dynamics of global capitalism. This highlights the correlation between the rise or decline of new leading sectors of capitalist development and the shifting sites of labour unrest over time and space. Silver's analysis underscores the deep entrenchment of labour movements within global political dynamics, where they function both as a cause and an effect.
Drawing on Silver’s research the seminar will investigate labour struggles around the world. We will take a closer look at the broader political, social, historical and economic context that led to these struggles and ask for their transnational entanglements. Thereby we draw connections to different theoretical approaches (i.e. Marxism, Social Reproduction Theory, Racial Capitalism, World-System Analysis) that help us understand the underlying dynamics leading up to their outbreak and development, providing us with a more informed outlook on prevailing and forming labour unrest around the world.