Information on this page is based on last year's program. Prices, dates, and itineraries may change. Please continue to check this site, or send an email to studyabroad@wayne.edu to be notified when next year's information is available.

In 1994, growing internal unrest, mounting international sanctions, and a sudden change in the leadership of the ruling party culminated in the transition to the new South Africa. The South African labor movement played a crucial role in this democratic transformation and continues to play a central role in the new government. It is the single most powerful civil society organization in the country.

This course will examine the development of labor and employment relations in South Africa as it struggles to redress the legacy of apartheid and the demands for a more democratic workplace and society and to respond to intensifying competition as South Africa is increasingly integrated into the global economy. Topics covered include:

• The history and development of the South African labor movement and its role in overcoming apartheid;
• The impact of globalization and neoliberal economic policies on the workplace and the larger society;
• Organizational and workplace restructuring in response to these changes;
• Managing diversity and equity in the post-apartheid workplace;
• Work and gender issues;
• Occupational and environmental health issues with a particular emphasis on HIV/AIDS;
• Employer labor relations and human resources strategies; and
• Emerging union bargaining and organizing strategies in a global economy.

The itinerary includes meetings with union leaders and staff from the Congress of South African Trade Union (COSATU) and a variety of national unions, as well as staff from the American Center for International Labor Solidarity, the National Labour and Economic Development Institute and the University of Witwatersrand. In Johannesburg, the study tour will also visit the Apartheid Museum and tour Soweto, the living symbol of the spirit that helped end apartheid.

The group will also spend two days at the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, one of South Africa’s finest game reserves. It teems with wild game, including lions, leopards, giraffes, elephants and rhinos. In the nineteenth century, the park was at the center of the Zulu kingdom, and Imfolozi was the private hunting preserve of the Zulu king, Shaka.

In Durban, the study tour will meet with trade union students and staff of the Workers’ College and faculty from the Department of Industrial, Organizational and Labour Studies of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Durban, located on the Indian Ocean, is characterized by its rich African, Indian and English cultures. It was here that Mahatma Ghandi began to forge his philosophy of passive resistance, an idea that found resonance with the American civil rights movement and the founders of the African National Congress.

Consent of the faculty leader

Please note that you are required to pay tuition for 3 credit hours at your appropriate rate, payable through the normal tuition payment process. For more information, click here.

Applications can be downloaded here, or found at:

The Office of Study Abroad and Global Programs
5155 Gullen Mall
1600 Undergraduate Library
Detroit, MI 48202
Tel: 313-577-3207
www.studyabroad.wayne.edu

A non-refundable program deposit of $400 is required within 14 days of accepting admission into the program. Notifications will occur via U.S. postal mail.

The non-refundable deposit of $400 is due within 14 days of accepting admission into the program. The remaining balance is due in four equal payments on the following dates:

The deposit and all payments are to be made out to Wayne State University. The deposit and all payments can be made by check, money order, Visa or MasterCard. Students wanting to pay program fees with either a Visa or MasterCard must print out the credit card authorization form and submit it to the office with the appropriate information.

Additionally, you are required to pay tuition for 3 credit hours at your appropriate rate which is payable through the normal tuition payment process.

Shannon Walker
Study Abroad and Global Programs
5155 Gullen Mall
1600 Undergraduate Library
Detroit, MI 48202
bb7944@wayne.edu

Participants are responsible for all program fees until notification is received by Study Abroad and Global Programs. Refunds are subject to the refund policy as listed below.

The $400 deposit is non-refundable. The Office of Study Abroad and Global Programs guarantees space on the program for participants upon receipt of the confirmation deposit. At that point, the Office of Study Abroad and Global Programs incurs non-recoverable costs. Therefore, any participant who cancels at any time after the confirmation deposit has been received will be responsible for the deposit in addition to the following, upon cancellation from the program:

Cancellation Period Refund

Brochure

Course Syllabus

Hal Stack
Labor Studies Center
3178 Faculty/ Administration Building
(313) 577-2191
h.stack@wayne.edu

Shannon Walker
Office of Study Abroad and Global Programs
1600 Undergraduate Library
(313) 577-3207
shan_walker@wayne.edu

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