Questions about the midterm

Hi all.

I’ve received several Comment questions.  Here are my responses:

1.  Where is Supplemental Reading 6 from Week 2?

Supplemental Reading 6 (by Deakin & Wilkinson) from Week 2 was apparently not posted originally on the course website.  My apologies. That reading is now posted as a separate file with the other readings called “S6 Week 2″.

2.  What happened to week one’s supplemental readings?

Here they are. These readings were included as background to the first introductory lecture.  They introduce the three regimes of workplace law, and give examples of how horrific working conditions were in the early years of Canadian industrializations.  You will not be asked direct questions about these readings, but they may be useful to you indirectly by providing you with possible examples to make useful points in your answers.

3.  Will you be tested on the Michael Lynk lecture?

Not the “lecture” per se, however the Lynk reading is testable.  The lecture helps you understand the reading.  So I would read the paper and watch the video to make sense of his arguments.  You will not need to know the various statistics he cites.  However, you should know what he is point(s) was.

4.  Do we need to know the author’s names?

It would be useful if you are going to refer to one of them in your answer.  It is possible, depending on what the questions asks, that there may be the odd mark assigned to identifying an author. However, knowing what an author said will always be more important than remembering a name.  So if you can’t recall a name, just go on and explain what the author whose name you can’t recall said.

5.   Can you provide an example of a short answer style question?

Sure.  How about this?

1.    With which of the various perspectives on industrial relations that we have studied do you MOST agree with, and LEAST agree with, and why?   Your responses should demonstrate your understanding of the perspectives, drawing on course materials.

A good answer will demonstrate a clear understanding of the perspectives you choose.  That would mean explaining the key beliefs held by the perspective, and also drawing on examples, readings, and/or people who we have met who are either supporters or critics of the perspectives.