Labor and the Mexican Economy
In a Time of Global Uncertainty
2009 Exploration Seminar in Mexico
THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR 2009. PLEASE CONSIDER ANOTHER EXPLORATION SEMINAR PROGRAM!
Program Director: Daniel Jacoby, Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences (UW Bothell) and UW Harry Bridges Endowed Professor of Labor, Emeriti
NOTE THAT THIS PROGRAM IS A SUMMER (A Term) AND NOT AN EARLY FALL PROGRAM: This affects how credit, payments and financial aid are handled. Please click here for information.
 Mexico's rich and sometimes revolutionary worker tradition is alive in Oaxaca, where our seminar will be based. In 2006, teachers battled the government over education policy, in a struggle that took on national and international significance. As important as it was, that struggle damaged the city’s reputation as a tourist center, and left the economy reeling. Just as Oaxaca’s economy started to revive, global recession set in.
Students will encounter a complex tapestry in a modernizing Mexico as it steers an uncertain course between international engagement and nationalism, between its cosmopolitan elite and an impoverished countryside, between corruption and an anguished campaign to end it, and between respect for family and tradition and the seductions of dynamic change. We’ll take a comparative approach to study how the Mexican labor movement and economy differs from that of the US. We’ll discover how organized and unorganized workers make their voices heard, live their lives, and meet the challenges of globalization.
 Oaxaca is a special place. Its valley location is some 4000 feet above sea level, which makes it warm in winter and seasonable in summer—cooled by afternoon rains. The Oaxaca valley cradled the Zapotec civilization whose ruins date back at least to at least 500 AD. Oaxaca’s numerous indigenous citizens keep tradition alive speaking several native languages. The state prides itself on its artisan traditions in ceramics, weaving, wood, and painting. Local markets bustle with entrepreneurial spirit. The city boasts numerous restaurants touting Oaxacan cuisine. Yet, for all of this, the city is an enigma reflecting the perpetual conflicts between rich and poor in a nation that values development.
Mexico is deeply connected to the US through history, economy, and our peoples. Still, it is clearly a different place with its own story to tell and a desire to determine its own fate. By the end of the trip, you'll have your own critique of aphorism that when the US catches a cold the rest of the world gets pneumonia. It is both true and untrue, as Mexicans have developed their own traditions of coping with hard times.
Mexico’s “official” labor federation works closely with its government, but it also has independent workers movements that openly challenging its legitimacy. We'll see how the structure of the economy and government influence how well workers do. You’ll explore how exchange rates and trade-- not to mention NAFTA--have affected labor in North America.
 During the seminar we’ll seek out opinions from unionists, workers, artisans, farmers, migrants and government officials to tell us their stories. You’ll see how non-profits set up micro-finance projects to empower women and laborers and debate the dynamism and pitfalls of the informal markets outside union or government protection. You will also experience the market places where farmers and crafts people make and sell their wares, assess how NAFTA has affected local growers. We'll be especially interested to talk with educators to learn why they have become radicalized, and how they have dealt with the reaction to their movement.
Expect to spend our final three days in Mexico City, and travel, as well, to see the ancient ruins near to Oaxaca. There will also be opportunities for you to strengthen your Spanish by taking a morning course at the Instituto Cultural Oaxaca [ICO]. We’ll usually hold afternoon classes and/or evening classes on T, W, and Th leaving ample time for field trips and opportunities pursue engage Mexico and its cultures. For class you will collaborate with a team of fellow students on a ground level assessment of a topic like Mexican Labor Standards, NAFTA, Organized Labor, working class identity, the challenge of democratic unionism, the informal economy, economic development policy, and immigration.
In order to maximize the experiential value of our trip, before traveling you’ll be expected to complete most of our reading and meet at least twice to discuss it.
 Course Objectives:
- to learn how workers organize and protect their interests in Mexico
- to understand the economic context affecting Mexican’s workers
- to compare Mexican labor institutions to those of the US
- to reconsider America’s relationship to Mexico
- Immerse yourself with life in Mexico
Credits: This program will offer a total of 6 credits, including five (5) credits of one of the following options, plus one (1) credit of GEN ST 392.
- 5 credits in: HIST/POL S 457 (Topics in Labor Research - I&S)
- 5 credits in SISLA 399 (Latin American Studies Abroad)
- 5 credits in BIS 480 (International Study Abroad)
- Participants should check with their advisors to determine how these credits count towards departmental requirements.
Itinerary (subject to change):
Expect that the class will be based in Oaxaca for four weeks of A Term from June 23 to July 22. We’ll make a 3 day trip to Puebla and Mexico City and wind up our stay with the Galaguetza Festival that brings natives from the 8 Oaxacan regions to present their local dances, music and goods. We’ll have guest speakers from theTeacher’s movement, the Ministry of Finance, and other experts. Mornings will be reserved for optional Spanish classes for those who want to improve their language skills. We’ll have classes and speakers in the afternoons. Probable field trips include:
 Some internships or service learning may be available for those who can make a commitment for at least one month. Typically, you will need to speak Spanish.
Admission: Preference will be given to mature students having a genuine interest in the topic and/or some prior relevant coursework. Ability to speak some Spanish is helpful, though not essential.
Program cost:
- $2,350 Program fee
- $ 200 IPE fee
- Click here for a Estimated Budget of Student Expenses (for financial aid requests)
- Included in program fee: Homestay (with breakfast), trips, and guest speakers.
- Additional costs: roundtrip airfare ($600-$900), meals (about $5 each), some local transportation, health insurance, personal spending money. Optional intensive Spanish classes or tutoring is available at prices ranging from $100 to 160 per week.
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