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M.A. IN GLOBALISATION AND LABOUR

Introduction

The onslaught of globalisation and liberalisation has been causing major changes in the lives of the people in developing countries in general and the working class in particular. This has happened particularly during a short span of just two decades. It is during this period that the world witnessed an intensification of the globalisation process and liberal policies. Moves to counter these forces are present but at times weak and mostly divided. The ILO has stated specifically that there should be measures that make globalisation more inclusive of the marginalised. There is a need to introduce this debate at a level that is higher than mere rhetoric and sloganeering. It is necessary to equip people engaged in mass based organisations such as trade unions, cooperatives and other membership-based organisations with adequate knowledge at the theoretical, conceptual and empirical levels so that they can interrogate these processes and take stands that are realistic.

This course attempts to undertake this task. The initial interest in starting such a course came from the ILO. It has founded the Global Labour University (GLU) which collaborates with universities in different countries to run courses at the post-graduate levels for training trade unionists and other activists of membership-based organisations. The GLU has initiated a course with the University of Kassel and Berlin School of Economics in Germany; University of Witwatersrand, South Africa; and the University of Campinas, Brazil. The TISS is a part of this international collaborative effort.

The pedagogy for the course will be through class room teaching, tutorials, student seminars, project work and field visits. The role of visiting faculty, mainly from trade unions and labour research organisations from different countries, will be a vital input in the pedagogy. Class room teaching will comprise 50% of the credit hours. Students will be encouraged to make presentations on the different topics covered, based on field visits and their own experiences. The class room teaching of the course will be completed in the first year and a total of 12 courses, comprising 44 credits, will be taught in this year.

In the second year, all students will undergo an internship of six months with a trade union or a membership-based organisation. They will report back periodically to the faculty. This will constitute 16 credits. Each student will have to write a dissertation under the supervision of a faculty member. The student can do so while in the field. This part comprises 16 credits. Grading will be based on written examinations and course work.

Course Outline

Distribution of Credit Hours (one credit: 15 hours)

Semester-Wise Listing of Courses

Eligibility

1. A Bachelor's Degree of minimum 3-year duration or equivalent grade (under the 10+2+3 or 10+2+4 or 10+2+2+1 year bridge course pattern of study or any other pattern fulfilling the mandatory requirement of 15 years of formal education) in any discipline.
   OR
2. Candidates who will complete all the requirements of their final year Bachelor's Degree examinations by Friday, September 14, 2007, will also be eligible. In such cases, admission to the M.A. in G & L programme will be provisional. If a provisionally admitted student fails in the final year examination, the offer of provisional admission will be automatically cancelled.

Selection Procedure

Selection will be on the basis of a Personal Interview conducted by a panel of experts. Eligible candidates will be called for an interview at TISS, in Mumbai and those who qualify.

Reservations

The TISS is an equal opportunity institution and there is no discrimination on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender, marital status, age or physical disability. As per the Government of India directives, there is a reservation for the following groups:

• 15% for Scheduled Caste candidates and 7.5% for Scheduled Tribes.
  
• 3% for the persons with disability, of which 1% each for (a) Low Vision/ Blindness (b) Hearing Impairment, and (c) Locomotor Disability/ Cerebral Palsy in all the programmes.
  
• 15% supernumerary seats for foreign nationals.
  
• GoI directives will be followed for Other Backward Classes (OBC) candidates, as applicable.

Contact Details

Postal Address: Post Box 8313, Deonar, Mumbai 400 088.

Please address all your letters to the Deputy Registrar, Academic Section, Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

Telephone: 91-22-2556 3289-96, Extn. 258, 259 and 261.

The telephone board functions from 9.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m. from Monday to Friday.

Fax: 91-22-2556 2912

E-mail: pgadmissions@tiss.edu ; acadsec@tiss.edu