This course provides a closer look on how economic and social development, labour relations, labour movements and labour organisation are intertwined and interdependent. It explores different paths and concepts of development, among them the concept of the developmental state’ that has been coined originally with respect to the Asian Tigers (Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan) and Japan. The term gained wider significance since the 1980s and 1990s, and is used as a blueprint for successful development. Many accounts of development and the developmental state do not pay sufficient attention to labour and labour subordination as the preconditions of successful development. The role of labour, labour relations and labour movements will be addressed in this course including issues like migrant work, informal work, old and new forms of workers’ organisations and trade union strategies.

Students are encouraged to focus on issue areas they are interested in, and select those as the topic of the two short papers they have to submit as their main written assignment.

The course addresses issues of relevance to development, developmental states, labour relations and labour movements through diverse teaching methods including lectures and debating teams.