LBR STD 10
Introduction to Labor and Workplace Studies
Description: (Formerly numbered Labor and Workplace Studies 10.) Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Assumptions about work, including why some work is favored, whether those with good jobs really are better people than those without, and how this understanding of work and value came to be common sense. Unpacking of these and other assumptions about work, value, and power, with focus on low-wage workers, their communities, and their place in contemporary society. P/NP or letter grading.
Units: 5.0
Units: 5.0
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2025 - I loved this class, but I'm a little disappointed in it as an 'Introduction to Labor Studies' class. It really felt more like an 'Introduction to Labor Organizing' class, which is definitely valuable, but not the same! There was a very heavy focus on understanding contemporary labor movements (especially in LA, because of our location and the professor's own experience) alongside what organizing is and how to organize. This is incredible, but it's clear the focus is on trying to get people who might've just been taking this for a GE to get involved in labor work, and not to help prepare Labor Studies students. What I mean is that I wish there was a heavier emphasis on thinking generally about power and class relations, and how the idea of labor movements and rebellion even began! How did we even start thinking about labor? I wanted to be reading Foucault, y'know? I was hoping this would help give me the necessary wider context and analytical skills to approach the rest of my studies, and I didn't really get that. Even our paper was sort of just asking us to read some stuff about a labor movement, summarize it, and then give a little bit of analysis about whether we thought it succeeded/failed and why-- nothing that challenged me to think critically. Easy class, lovely professor, and definitely had immense value-- just not a very good introduction to/preparation for Labor Studies as a whole in my opinion. It should be a separate organizing-oriented class!
Fall 2025 - I loved this class, but I'm a little disappointed in it as an 'Introduction to Labor Studies' class. It really felt more like an 'Introduction to Labor Organizing' class, which is definitely valuable, but not the same! There was a very heavy focus on understanding contemporary labor movements (especially in LA, because of our location and the professor's own experience) alongside what organizing is and how to organize. This is incredible, but it's clear the focus is on trying to get people who might've just been taking this for a GE to get involved in labor work, and not to help prepare Labor Studies students. What I mean is that I wish there was a heavier emphasis on thinking generally about power and class relations, and how the idea of labor movements and rebellion even began! How did we even start thinking about labor? I wanted to be reading Foucault, y'know? I was hoping this would help give me the necessary wider context and analytical skills to approach the rest of my studies, and I didn't really get that. Even our paper was sort of just asking us to read some stuff about a labor movement, summarize it, and then give a little bit of analysis about whether we thought it succeeded/failed and why-- nothing that challenged me to think critically. Easy class, lovely professor, and definitely had immense value-- just not a very good introduction to/preparation for Labor Studies as a whole in my opinion. It should be a separate organizing-oriented class!
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Most Helpful Review
Spring 2021 - I took my first labor studies class with Emely and became very interested in the subject. She and Kent Wong were so informative and helpful and always brought well-informed speakers to class. They were very generous with students and helped us all at every step. 10/5 recommend
Spring 2021 - I took my first labor studies class with Emely and became very interested in the subject. She and Kent Wong were so informative and helpful and always brought well-informed speakers to class. They were very generous with students and helped us all at every step. 10/5 recommend
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2021 - I loved this class! An extremely fun and easy GE. Professor Wong and Valenzuela are awesome and have done so much for the social justice movement, so it's such a privilege to learn from them as well as the other speakers they bring in for the lectures. The lectures are so relevant and I felt like I learned a lot from this class. Your grade is based on two papers (which are easy to do), a participation grade in your discussion, and a multiple-choice final. As long as you have an interest in the topic and pay attention in lectures, you'll ace the class.
Fall 2021 - I loved this class! An extremely fun and easy GE. Professor Wong and Valenzuela are awesome and have done so much for the social justice movement, so it's such a privilege to learn from them as well as the other speakers they bring in for the lectures. The lectures are so relevant and I felt like I learned a lot from this class. Your grade is based on two papers (which are easy to do), a participation grade in your discussion, and a multiple-choice final. As long as you have an interest in the topic and pay attention in lectures, you'll ace the class.
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2020 - Professor Valenzuela really cares about his students. Even with remote learning during covid, his lectures were engaging and the assigned material provides great inspiration for the final research paper. Students get an overview of labor history and current labor campaigns. He also invites guest speakers who are active in those campaigns so they can give first-hand experience to reinforce the reading materials. The textbooks are actually books published by the UCLA Labor Center and they're very reasonably priced, you can get them in a bundle from the Labor Center website.
Fall 2020 - Professor Valenzuela really cares about his students. Even with remote learning during covid, his lectures were engaging and the assigned material provides great inspiration for the final research paper. Students get an overview of labor history and current labor campaigns. He also invites guest speakers who are active in those campaigns so they can give first-hand experience to reinforce the reading materials. The textbooks are actually books published by the UCLA Labor Center and they're very reasonably priced, you can get them in a bundle from the Labor Center website.
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