The Harry Bridges Center is excited for a special course being offered this summer, SOC 301: Labor Markets & the Carceral State, taught by Sociology PhD student Michele Cadigan. This full-term class will be of particular interest to people who are interested in connections between prisons, labor and racial justice.
UW students may enroll for summer quarter (without a late fee) until June 20. The full summer term runs from June 21-August 20.
For more information, contact Michele Cadigan at mlcadig@uw.edu.
Read more to check out the course description.
A description of the course:
Poor communities of color, particularly Black communities have been devastated by the phenomenon called mass incarceration as individuals are being removed from their families and within these communities at a disproportionate rate. Even more, others return from jail and prison often with fewer resources than they started with and face significant barriers in trying to access jobs vital to helping them successfully exit the justice system.
Recently, the public has become increasingly aware of and enraged by the massive number of individuals currently incarcerated or under surveillance and the disproportionate effect this has on communities of color. But how did we get here? What role has labor played in constructing the carceral state? And how has the carceral state shaped labor markets?
In this course, we will look at how the carceral system and economic markets are tied together through labor. We will not just question the foundation of the carceral state and seek to understand how labor markets are structured by it, but we will think collectively and imaginatively about possible solutions or ways to educate the public about what we learn through the course.