Syllabus
Plan of courses (modifications are possible): 1. 15.2. Opening class
The class will present the course and the requirements for attestation. In the second half will be preseted a basic historiography of Labour history. 2. 22.2. A brief history of work in a state-socialist regime I
The class will present basic legal and economic framework of a state-socialist work. 3. 1.3. A brief history of work in a state-socialist regime II
The class will continue the lecture on the basic notions of the state-socialist work. 4. 15.3. Socialist Images of the capitalist work
Discussion on the movie Siréna (Sirene): (director Karel Steklý, date of release 1947)
The movie will be provided for the individual screening at home. Czech language with English subtitles.
We will also discuss about the other movie, litterature, and art production reflecting the work. Students will be invited to think about the philosophers, artists, writters, filmmakers dealing with the issue of work, also before 1945. We will eventually read some extrait. 5. 29.3. Planning
Text: Isabelle Gouarné: Mandatory Planning versus Indicative Planning? The Eastern Itinerary of French Planners (1960s – 1970s). In: Michel Christian – Sandrine Kott – Ondřej Matějka (eds.): Planning in Cold War Europe. De Gruyter Oldenbourg 2018, pp. 71–96. 6. 12.4. Unemployment
Text: Natalia Jarska: Unemployment in State Socialism: An insight into the Understanding of Work in 1950s Poland. In: Marsha Seifert (ed.): Labor in State-Socialist Europe 1945–1989. Contributions to a History of Work. CEU Press 2020, pp. 27–47. 7. 26.4. Migration
Text: „Inappropriate Behaviour“: Labor Control and the Polish, Cuban, and Vietnamese Workers in Czechoslovakia. In: Marsha Seifert (ed.): Labor in State-Socialist Europe 1945–1989. Contributions to a History of Work. CEU Press 2020, pp. 99–119. 8. 10.5. Industrial heritage: a walk in Prague (if the pandemic situation enables)/ Closing remarks/Deadline for essays/Discussion about the essay. To be precised depending on the number of participants in course by mid-March.
Annotation
The course is intended for all students interested in the history of work. It is focused especially on the context of the (Czechoslovak) State-socialist regime. The course will discuss the basic terms and concepts of the labour history such as planning, migration, unemployment, and the relation between the state-socialism and the capitalism.
The course activitity is based on the reading of illustrative texts which deal with these terms and on their analyse. Therefore, the active reading and participation in the discussions is requested. The classes should serve as a brainstorming hub for further questionning about the world of work after 1945.
At the first classes, students will be given basic overview of the historiography of labour history after 1945 and about the principles of functionning of the world of work in (Czechoslovak) State-socialist regime. The subsequent class will illustrate several principles by a movie screening. Then, there will follow classes of the text discussions. These will take place in principle once a two weeks in order to have enough of time to read and understand the text. The last class will be dedicated to a walk through an industrial neighborhood in Prague.
The discussion classes will have the following form:
At the beginning of class, one student will be invited to sum up the read text and to open the discussion. Then, there will follow a discussion.
Due to the actual situation, the course will be most probably online.