GGRD16H3

Work and Livelihoods in the GTA

As major engines of the global economy, cities are also concentrated sites of work and employment. Popular and political understandings about what constitutes "fair" and "decent" work, meanwhile, are currently facing profound challenges. From the rise of platformed gig work to the rising cost of living in many cities – this course introduces students to approaches within Geography that help to conceptualize what "work" is, and to major forces shaping the laboured landscapes of cities, with a focus on the Greater Toronto Area. In this course students will get the opportunity to explore the varied forms of production and reproduction that make the GTA function and thrive, and to develop a vocabulary and critical lens to identify the geographies of different kinds of work and employment relations. Students will also have the chance to develop labour market research skills, and to critically examine the forms of work they themselves undertake every day.Area of Focus: Urban Sustainability