Work Law and Social Movements
Applications for Fall 2024 are closed for this project.
This project explores the relationship between the many laws that regulate work in the United States, social movement activism, and changing American political economic commitments. Specifically, it investigates line-drawing in popular discourse about the meaning of work and how best to regulate it from the 1950s through today, during the transition to (and from?) neoliberalism.
Role: URAP apprentices will have the opportunity to analyze a data set of newspaper articles discussing work, work law, and social movements from 1950-1989. In so doing, they will learn both about the substantive topical area and about empirical mixed methods research.
Depending on apprentice skills and interests, there will also be opportunities to read and analyze judicial opinions, read and synthesize social science and legal scholarship, and more.
Qualifications: We are looking for 3-5 apprentices to be part of a vibrant and collegial team.
This is an ideal project for students interested in any of the following:
law (and law school), social movements, political economy, labor unions, work, civil rights, historical sociology, survey methods, public opinion research, content/discourse analysis, and mixed-methods empirical work.
Applicants MUST be extremely detail-oriented and well-organized, good at following directions, able to work collaboratively, and also comfortable taking initiative and coming up with ideas. Good written and oral communication skills are essential.
This interdisciplinary project requires diverse skill sets. It would be ideal if at least 1-2 of the apprentices had significant training and/or experience in independent data and statistical analysis using STATA or R, and if at least 1-2 of the apprentices had significant social science training. Please emphasize any such skills in your applications. Please also emphasize any prior research experience.
Hours: 6-8 hrs
Off-Campus Research Site: Students can work anywhere (on campus or remotely). Work requires an Internet connection. The research team will meet weekly or biweekly, usually via Zoom, although some in-person meetings may be scheduled, consistent with team preferences.