UNISA SOC2602 Globalisation, Society & Work: Detailed Module Notes

UNISA SOC2602, Globalisation, Society & Work, examines how global economic and social forces shape work, communities, identities, inequality, and everyday life. The module connects classic sociology with contemporary debates such as labour flexibilisation, migration, digital platforms, welfare changes, and the political contestation of globalisation. These exam notes unpack the module’s themes using South African and broader global examples, with clear conceptual frameworks, key vocabulary, and exam-ready arguments.

Section 1: Understanding Globalisation in a Sociological Lens (and Why Work Is Central)

Globalisation is often described in everyday language as “the world getting smaller,” but sociology treats it as a structured process involving power, institutions, culture, and material flows. SOC2602 frames globalisation not only as trade and investment, but as something that penetrates workplaces, households, education systems, social welfare, gender relations, and class formation.

Globalisation: Competing Definitions and What Sociology Adds

A useful starting point is to distinguish between common-sense meanings and sociological ones.

1. Economic/global market integration
   • Growth in cross-border trade, investment, and supply chains.
   • Expansion of multinational enterprises and outsourcing.
2. Political/institutional dimensions
   • Policy harmonisation and governance frameworks linked to international institutions.
   • Constraints on national policy space (e.g., austerity, trade rules).
3. Cultural and social dimensions
   • Spread of media, consumer culture, lifestyles, and identity repertoires.
4. Technological and informational dimensions
   • Rapid communication, cloud platforms, and digital logistics.

Sociology adds: globalisation is uneven, contested, and produces social outcomes—including inequality and insecurity—rather than only efficiency. Two countries may be “integrated” into global markets, but the benefits are distributed differently across social groups.

The “Global–Local” Dialectic

One of SOC2602’s core insights is that global processes do not simply “arrive” and transform society uniformly. Instead, they interact with local histories, class structures, labour regimes, and political institutions.

A helpful conceptual vocabulary:

• Global forces (capital flows, corporate strategies, international labour regimes)
• Local contexts (institutions, laws, unions, informal economies)
• Mediation (how local actors respond: governments, workers, communities, employers)

Example (labour and supply chains):

• A global retailer demands lower prices and faster delivery.
• Local subcontractors adjust by intensifying work, using temporary employment, reducing benefits, or shifting to piecework.
• These changes are experienced differently by formal employees, casual workers, and informal workers.

Key Sociological Terms Likely to Appear in Exam Questions

Below is a compact “exam lexicon” that you can use in essays and short answers.

• Labour process: how work is organised, controlled, monitored, and disciplined.
• Class: social position shaped by relations to production, ownership, and labour power.
• Precarity: insecure work conditions; unstable income; weak job protections.
• Social reproduction: how societies maintain everyday life (care work, education, health) so labour can continue.
• Social stratification: unequal distribution of resources and opportunities.
• Power/inequality: who benefits from globalisation and who bears costs.
• Agency: how people and groups respond, resist, or adapt.
• Institutional change: changes in laws, policies, and organisations shaping work and society.

Globalisation and Work: Conceptual Pathways

SOC2602 typically asks you to trace how globalisation affects work and then how work reshapes society. Common pathways include:

1) Outsourcing and supply chain restructuring

Global firms restructure production to reduce costs. In practice this often shifts risks downward:

• subcontractors absorb cost pressures,
• workers face intensified work and reduced security,
• labour rights enforcement becomes uneven.

2) Labour flexibilisation and deregulation

Flexibility is often framed as “making labour markets efficient,” but sociologically it is about loosening employment protections:

• casualisation,
• short-term contracts,
• “atypical” employment arrangements.

Consequences include:

• difficulties planning livelihoods,
• increased household vulnerability to shocks (health crises, unemployment),
• changes in union bargaining power.

3) Migration and transnational labour markets

Globalisation can increase migration for work, but legal regimes and discrimination shape outcomes:

• migrant workers may experience wage differences, exploitation, and barriers to services.
• remittances become important in household economies, linking local livelihoods to global currency and labour market conditions.

Globalisation as a Social and Political Contestation

A purely economic model can miss the fact that globalisation is debated and resisted. Sociological analysis includes:

• trade unions demanding decent work,
• social movements criticising inequality,
• governments balancing growth pressures with welfare responsibilities,
• community groups contesting displacement and environmental impacts.

In exam writing, show that globalisation is not neutral. It is a power-laden process that produces winners and losers.

South African Context: Why Globalisation Matters Locally

South Africa’s integration into global markets intersects with:

• a legacy of apartheid spatial planning,
• high structural unemployment,
• high inequality in wealth and opportunity,
• a large informal sector,
• ongoing debates about labour law, welfare, and skills development.

In practical terms, SOC2602’s themes connect to:

• clothing and textiles supply chains,
• mining and energy sectors,
• platform work and digital labour (e.g., ride-hailing, delivery),
• care work and household economies,
• migration and cross-border dynamics in urban areas.

Exam angle: Globalisation in South Africa is mediated by local labour relations and social policy. The same global pressure can produce different outcomes depending on union strength, regulation, and state capacity.

Section 2: Globalisation, Labour Markets, and Employment Transformations in South Africa and Beyond

This section zooms in on employment structures and how globalisation transforms labour markets. It focuses on the sociology of work: job quality, labour rights, inequality, and the changing “rules of employment.”

Employment Regimes and How Globalisation Changes Them

A labour market is not only about wages and employment numbers; it is a social system with rules and institutions. Globalisation often changes these rules through corporate strategies and policy pressures.

You can frame labour market change using three dimensions:

1. Employment status
   • permanent vs temporary,
   • formal vs informal,
   • full-time vs part-time,
   • employee vs contractor.
2. Job quality
   • wages,
   • benefits,
   • working hours,
   • safety and health,
   • predictability.
3. Control and surveillance
   • workplace discipline,
   • performance metrics,
   • digital monitoring and algorithmic management.

Precarity, Informality, and the “Dual Economy” Pattern

In many societies, global labour restructuring increases precarious employment. In South Africa, the “dual economy” idea is often discussed:

• formal sector with some protections (though uneven),
• informal sector with weak regulation and unstable income.

Global pressures can expand precarious work in both sectors:

• formal firms outsource tasks to subcontractors,
• informal businesses compete under cost pressure and face limited support.

Consequences for workers:

• income volatility,
• limited access to training and career progression,
• weaker collective bargaining,
• heightened vulnerability to illness and economic downturns.

The Role of Trade, Investment, and Corporate Power

Globalisation frequently enhances corporate bargaining power. The “logic” employers use often includes:

• “If we don’t compete, we lose contracts.”
• “To stay profitable, we need flexibility.”

Sociologically, that logic shapes employment by:

• negotiating labour costs downward,
• using temporary workers to reduce costs,
• intensifying work routines.

The key exam move is to evaluate: Is “flexibility” a mutual benefit, or does it shift risks from firms to workers? Evidence-based discussion should highlight that global competition pushes down costs while workers bear uncertainty.

Labour Rights, Institutions, and the Limits of Market Solutions

SOC2602 typically emphasises that policy and institutions matter. Even if globalisation creates pressures, countries still have choices.

Important institutional actors:

• labour departments and labour inspectors,
• courts and dispute resolution mechanisms,
• trade unions and employers’ associations,
• collective bargaining forums.

Possible exam argument:

• When institutions are strong, labour standards may be defended.
• When institutions are weak or under-resourced, global pressures may translate directly into poor job quality.

Skills, Education, and the Globalisation of Competence

A common theme linking education to work:

• Global firms demand particular competencies (digital skills, language skills, “soft skills”).
• Governments and training institutions respond with curricula and programmes.

But there is often a mismatch:

• workers gain credentials without securing decent jobs,
• education systems may not align with local labour demand,
• inequality affects who can access quality training.

In South Africa, this connects to:

• graduate unemployment pressures,
• uneven school quality,
• debates about TVET college effectiveness and workplace-based learning.

A stronger essay structure includes:

1. Globalisation changes skill demand.
2. South Africa’s education and training landscape mediates outcomes.
3. Result can be either job upgrading (positive) or credential inflation and unemployment (negative).

Gender, Work, and Globalisation

Globalisation affects gendered labour patterns in at least two ways:

1) Women’s work and labour segmentation

Women may be concentrated in:

• retail and services,
• domestic work and care work,
• informal trading,
• subcontracted factory or assembly tasks.

The outcome can include:

• lower wages on average,
• fewer promotions,
• greater exposure to informal insecurity.

2) Social reproduction under pressure

When families experience insecure employment, care responsibilities intensify. This means globalisation affects not only paid work but unpaid work:

• household budgeting,
• childcare,
• elder care,
• health management.

SOC2602 encourages linking the workplace to household life through social reproduction.

Migration and Work: Transnational Labour and Local Tensions

Globalisation increases labour mobility, but reception varies:

• access to jobs may depend on documentation and networks,
• discrimination affects pay and job conditions,
• legal barriers limit labour rights.

In South Africa, migration is often discussed alongside:

• competition for low-skilled jobs,
• xenophobia and social tensions,
• policy debates about labour market integration.

Exam-ready counterpoint:

• Migration alone does not explain insecurity; structural unemployment, inequality, and labour market segmentation matter.
• Employers and states also play roles in creating exploitative conditions.

Digital Platforms and the New Labour Frontiers

Digital globalisation creates new work arrangements:

• app-based delivery,
• ride-hailing,
• online freelancing.

Sociological issues:

• workers may be classified as independent contractors, reducing labour protections,
• algorithmic management sets work rates, routes, and performance metrics,
• income depends on platform demand fluctuations.

A balanced exam response:

• platforms can create opportunities for income,
• but they can also intensify precariousness and reduce transparency.

Case-Style Example: A Retail Supply Chain and Employment Impacts

Consider a scenario:

1. A global brand sources garments from multiple suppliers to reduce costs.
2. Supplier firms face pressure to meet deadlines and lower per-item costs.
3. Suppliers subcontract parts of production to smaller firms.
4. Smaller firms respond by hiring temporary workers, reducing benefits, and pushing overtime.

Expected social outcomes:

• income instability for workers,
• increased workplace stress,
• weak enforcement of labour standards in subcontracting layers,
• workers’ difficulty in accessing stable housing and long-term planning.

Use this as a template in exam answers: global demand → corporate strategy → subcontracting → work intensification → social impacts.

Section 3: Inequality, Social Policy, and the Transformation of Everyday Life

Globalisation affects society not only through job creation or job loss, but by reshaping inequality patterns, welfare arrangements, cultural values, and daily life strategies. In SOC2602, you’re expected to connect macro-level changes to micro-level experiences.

Inequality as a Globalisation Outcome: Not Only Income

Inequality can include:

• distribution of income and wealth,
• unequal access to education and training,
• spatial inequality (housing, services),
• unequal exposure to risk (health, unemployment, workplace danger),
• political inequality (voice in decision-making).

Globalisation often intensifies inequality through:

• wage polarization (high-skill/high-pay vs low-skill/low-pay),
• reduced bargaining power,
• capital accumulation benefiting those who own assets.

In the South African context, structural inequality already exists due to historical oppression and spatial planning. Globalisation can reinforce or reshape these existing patterns.

Welfare, State Capacity, and “Austerity” Debates

SOC2602 commonly prompts critical discussion of social policy under global economic constraints.

A sociological approach looks at:

• what happens when governments reduce spending,
• how welfare targeting changes who receives support,
• what “efficiency” policies mean for vulnerable groups.

Exam structure:

1. Globalisation pressures states through fiscal constraints and international norms.
2. Governments respond through welfare reforms and labour market policies.
3. The consequences are uneven across social groups.
4. Workers and communities adapt through informal support networks.

A key counterargument worth including:

• Welfare states can mediate inequalities even under globalisation.
• The outcome depends on political choices, taxation capacity, and institutional effectiveness.

Social Reproduction and Household Coping Strategies

When employment is precarious, households rely on strategies:

• multiple income earners,
• reliance on informal work,
• borrowing and informal credit,
• reducing consumption (food, transport),
• increasing unpaid care labour.

Sociologically, these coping strategies are not simply “choices.” They are constrained by:

• income volatility,
• limited social protection,
• spatial and service constraints.

A strong exam essay connects:

• precarious work → household stress → changes in education and health outcomes.

Education, Credentials, and Youth Transitions

Globalisation changes the meaning of education:

• credentials may be required for entry into better jobs,
• but labour markets may not expand enough to absorb youth.

This can produce:

• prolonged transitions from school to work,
• “credential unemployment,”
• frustration and identity strain.

In South Africa, youth unemployment is a central issue. In exam writing, show how globalisation contributes indirectly:

• demand for high skills increases,
• yet local job creation may lag,
• firms may prefer experienced workers or reduce hiring due to uncertainty,
• young people end up in insecure jobs or informal work.

Culture, Identity, and Consumer Globalisation

Globalisation also shapes cultural life:

• global media influences aspirations,
• consumer goods create new status markers,
• social media reconfigures identity performance.

Sociological caution:

• culture is not separate from economy. Cultural expectations can increase pressure to secure income, leading to new forms of inequality and frustration.

Exam example:

• A young person may feel compelled to pursue “global” lifestyles, but local labour markets offer limited pathways.
• The resulting tension can shape social attitudes toward work, entrepreneurship, and migration.

Health, Safety, and Risk Distribution

Work is not only about wages—it is also about risk and safety.

Globalisation can affect occupational health through:

• cost-cutting on safety,
• informalisation with weaker enforcement,
• subcontracting layers where responsibility is blurred.

Consequences:

• higher rates of workplace injury,
• chronic stress from long hours and uncertainty,
• limited access to medical care.

Link to society:

• illness reduces labour capacity, deepening poverty cycles,
• caregivers increase unpaid workload,
• communities face increased strain.

Environment and Social Conflict

Global economic activity often carries environmental impacts:

• mining expansion,
• industrial pollution,
• infrastructure projects tied to investment corridors.

In SOC2602 essays, connect environmental transformation to work and inequality:

• communities experience displacement or health risks,
• compensation disputes can arise,
• local employment benefits may be limited if firms rely on skilled labour from outside.

In South Africa, debates about energy, mining, and environmental justice demonstrate how global markets and national politics intersect.

Case-Study Approach: Urban Informality and Welfare Gaps

A typical scenario used in sociology exams (and suitable for SOC2602):

1. Urban residents face unemployment or low-income work.
2. Housing costs and transport increase living expenses.
3. Welfare access is delayed or limited by administrative barriers.
4. People shift to informal trading, home-based work, or precarious gig work.
5. Income is unstable, affecting school attendance and health.

This illustrates how globalisation’s labour effects translate into everyday life: jobs → income patterns → welfare reliance → social outcomes.

Inequality and Social Mobilisation

Globalisation also stimulates new forms of mobilisation:

• union campaigns for decent work,
• community protests against service delivery failure,
• activism around migrant rights,
• campaigns against wage theft and unsafe labour.

SOC2602 encourages analysis of:

• who mobilises and why,
• what resources are available (media access, organisational capacity),
• what outcomes follow (policy change, contract renegotiation, workplace improvements).

A balanced conclusion for exams:

• inequality can lead to resistance,
• resistance can shape policy outcomes,
• but repression or institutional weakness can limit success.

Section 4: Responses to Globalisation—Resistance, Adaptation, and Policy Pathways (Including Institutions and Labour Movements)

This section examines what people, organisations, and states do in response to globalisation. The emphasis is on agency, organisational power, and the policy choices that can reduce harm and improve work outcomes.

Types of Social Responses

Responses to globalisation can be grouped into:

1. Labour responses
   • union organising, collective bargaining,
   • industrial action,
   • campaigns against precarious work.
2. Community responses
   • informal settlement leadership structures,
   • service delivery protests,
   • local advocacy for housing, safety, and jobs.
3. State responses
   • labour law enforcement,
   • training and employment programmes,
   • social protection expansion or reform.
4. Corporate responses
   • “responsible business” commitments,
   • supplier compliance programmes,
   • corporate social responsibility initiatives.

SOC2602 typically requires you to evaluate responses critically: do they genuinely change power relations, or do they manage public perceptions?

Trade Unions, Collective Bargaining, and Contesting Precarity

Unions are important because they confront the power imbalance between capital and labour. Under globalisation, union strategies often include:

• regulating subcontracting and outsourcing,
• demanding conversion of casual work into permanent employment,
• negotiating wage increases tied to productivity and living costs,
• pushing for enforcement of labour standards across subcontractors.

However, constraints exist:

• employers may shift production to avoid labour costs,
• workers may be reluctant to unionise due to fear of dismissal,
• precarious workers may be harder to organise because employment relationships are unstable.

Exam-ready approach:

• Present unions as crucial but imperfect.
• Explain structural barriers to union power under globalisation.

Migration Governance and Labour Market Integration

Governments may respond to migration with:

• restrictive border policies,
• work permit frameworks,
• enforcement of labour standards for migrants,
• or inclusive strategies such as access to services and legal pathways.

A strong argument:

• if labour standards enforcement is weak, migrants can be exploited regardless of formal policies.
• therefore, policy must include institutional capacity, not only laws.

Also consider tensions:

• some communities may perceive migrants as competitors.
• sociology expects you to analyse how these tensions are politically managed—whether by scapegoating or by structural solutions such as job creation and wage protections.

Social Protection: Expanding or Restructuring Welfare

Social protection systems can counter globalisation impacts by:

• stabilising income,
• supporting households during unemployment,
• enabling access to health services,
• supporting children’s education.

But welfare reforms can also produce exclusion if:

• eligibility criteria are too narrow,
• administrative systems are weak,
• policy is undermined by budget constraints.

Exam direction:

• show both sides: welfare can be protective; welfare can also be inadequate.
• connect welfare to work incentives carefully—avoid oversimplification.

Skills Development, TVET, and Employment Linkages

SOC2602’s South Africa focus often touches education-to-work transitions, including the role of TVET colleges and workplace learning.

Key exam question type:

• “Discuss how globalisation influences skills demands and how South Africa can respond.”

A nuanced answer includes:

1. Skills demand changes (digital skills, service skills, technical competencies).
2. Training supply exists through schools and TVET colleges.
3. Job absorption depends on whether employers create decent work.
4. Learning outcomes depend on quality of training, availability of tools, and workplace mentoring.
5. Equity matters: disadvantaged youth need access to training and supportive pathways.

A critique worth including:

• if TVET programmes are not aligned with employer needs or if jobs are scarce, training can become a form of “waiting without employment.”
• therefore, skills policy must be paired with labour market strategy and economic development.

Corporate Social Responsibility vs Structural Change

Corporate responses often include compliance and social responsibility commitments. Sociological critique:

• CSR may improve conditions in some supplier sites,
• but without enforcement and worker power, CSR can function as public relations.

A strong essay distinguishes:

• voluntary compliance (limited and uneven)
• vs regulated accountability (stronger and more reliable)

Also consider:

• subcontracting networks can dilute responsibility.
• workers may not access grievance mechanisms.

Policy Pathways for Decent Work in a Globalised Economy

SOC2602 exam essays typically benefit from proposing policy principles rather than one “magic solution.” Consider:

1. Labour standards enforcement
   • inspections,
   • penalties for non-compliance,
   • protection for whistle-blowers.
2. Reduce precariousness
   • regulate casualisation,
   • support job transitions,
   • improve unemployment protection.
3. Strengthen collective bargaining
   • support union access,
   • enforce bargaining rights across subcontractors.
4. Active labour market policies
   • wage subsidies for youth,
   • public works with decent wages,
   • career guidance linked to labour demand.
5. Inclusive social protection
   • expand access, reduce administrative barriers,
   • integrate health and unemployment support.

A South African Example Framework: From Policy to Workplace Reality

To keep responses concrete, use a “chain of causation”:

• Global pressure reduces costs for firms.
• Firms restructure employment (casualisation, subcontracting).
• Workers face income insecurity and limited bargaining power.
• State social protection may partially buffer hardship.
• Without enforcement and worker power, job quality deteriorates.
• With strong labour regulation and social protection, negative impacts are reduced.

This framework helps you write coherent exam answers that connect levels of analysis: global → national → workplace → household.

Section 5: Exam-Ready Skill-Building—How to Answer SOC2602 Questions Effectively (Concepts, Structures, and High-Scoring Examples)

This final section is designed for exam performance. It turns SOC2602 content into repeatable essay structures, argument planning, and common marking criteria. It also provides example essay outlines and possible question prompts aligned with the module themes.

Understanding What Markers Typically Reward

In Sociology modules like SOC2602, exam questions usually reward:

• Clear introduction that defines the problem and frames the argument.
• Conceptual accuracy (using module vocabulary correctly).
• Depth of analysis (not only describing facts, but explaining mechanisms).
• Evidence and examples (local and/or global cases).
• Balanced perspective (acknowledging counterarguments).
• Coherent conclusion that answers the question directly.

The “Mechanism-Based” Essay Model (Ideal for SOC2602)

Because SOC2602 is about processes linking globalisation to society and work, a strong model is:

1. Define globalisation (and specify which dimension: economic, political, cultural, technological).
2. Identify a mechanism (how the process changes labour markets or social life).
3. Show local mediation (South African institutions, labour law, union strength, welfare systems).
4. Discuss social outcomes (inequality, precariousness, identity, household coping).
5. Evaluate responses (state, labour, corporate, community).
6. Conclude with a direct answer to the question.

This ensures you do more than list themes; you demonstrate causal reasoning.

Common SOC2602 Question Types and How to Structure Them

Type A: “Discuss” questions

These require a balanced exploration of key themes.

A template:

• Intro definition + thesis (your main stance).
• Body: 3–4 sub-themes with mechanisms and examples.
• Include a counterargument or limitation.
• Conclusion summarises insights.

Type B: “Evaluate” questions

Markers expect you to weigh evidence and conclude.

Template:

• Clarify evaluation criteria (e.g., do outcomes improve job security? reduce inequality?).
• Present arguments supporting the statement.
• Present critical counterarguments.
• Weigh both sides using evidence and sociology.
• Conclude with a nuanced verdict.

Type C: “To what extent” questions

These reward measured judgments rather than extremes.

Template:

• Define “to what extent” criteria (e.g., degree of effect on formal employment, precariousness, welfare dependence).
• Provide evidence for both partial and full effects.
• Decide an extent based on social mechanisms and mediation.

Type D: “Explain” questions

These require step-by-step logic.

Template:

• Start with the globalisation driver.
• Explain the transmission mechanism.
• Show social outcomes.
• Link outcomes to work and everyday life.

Building High-Scoring Arguments: Thesis Statements That Fit SOC2602

Examples of thesis statements (adapt to your own angle):

• Globalisation reshapes work through precarious employment and labour restructuring, and in South Africa these effects are intensified by existing inequality and uneven institutional enforcement.
• While globalisation can increase opportunities through new industries and technologies, its benefits are socially uneven, producing insecurity that spills into household life and welfare reliance.
• State policy, labour institutions, and worker power mediate globalisation’s impacts; without strong enforcement and social protection, corporate cost pressures translate into declining job quality.

Key Concepts to Include (Without Repetition)

A high-quality exam answer should use several concepts correctly, but not overload the essay. Choose concepts that directly support your mechanism:

• labour market segmentation,
• precariousness,
• social reproduction,
• institutional mediation,
• agency and resistance,
• inequality as multidimensional,
• global–local dialectic,
• power and bargaining.

Example Essay Outlines (Use as Blueprints)

Below are three blueprint outlines aligned with major SOC2602 themes. They are written as structures you can reuse with different examples and emphasis.

Blueprint 1: Globalisation and Precarious Work (Discuss + explain)

Introduction

• Define globalisation (economic + technological dimensions).
• State thesis: globalisation changes employment through supply chains and platform systems; South Africa’s inequality and institutions mediate outcomes.

Body

1. Mechanism: supply chain restructuring and subcontracting
   • corporate cost pressures
   • outsourcing layers
   • shift from permanent to temporary work
   • worker consequences (income insecurity, weaker bargaining)
2. Mechanism: flexibilisation and informalisation
   • “flexibility” as risk transfer
   • informal survival strategies
   • labour rights gaps
3. South African mediation
   • uneven enforcement across sectors
   • union capacity and constraints for precarious workers
   • welfare systems buffering but not eliminating harm
4. Counterargument and nuance
   • some global integration can create jobs
   • digital platforms can offer entry routes
   • but job quality and protections remain central

Conclusion

• Answer: globalisation drives precariousness through structured mechanisms; mitigation requires enforcement and social protection.

Blueprint 2: Social Policy and Inequality under Globalisation (Evaluate)

Introduction

• Define inequality beyond income.
• Thesis: globalisation pressures states and labour markets; social policy can reduce harm but depends on implementation and institutional capacity.

Body

1. Supporting argument: welfare under global fiscal constraints
   • austerity narratives
   • targeting and exclusion risks
2. Critical counterargument: states have policy choices
   • welfare can stabilise livelihoods
   • social protection supports education and health
3. Mediation in everyday life
   • household coping strategies with precarious income
   • link to youth transitions and health stress
4. Labour market linkage
   • training without job creation can sustain inequality
   • policy must link skills to decent work

Conclusion

• Evaluate extent: social policy mitigates impacts, but structural inequality persists without labour protection and decent work strategies.

Blueprint 3: Responses to Globalisation—Resistance and Policy Pathways (Discuss + evaluate)

Introduction

• Define globalisation as contested and power-laden.
• Thesis: labour and state responses can reduce negative effects, but only if they confront power asymmetries and subcontracting risks.

Body

1. Labour responses
   • union organising and collective bargaining
   • challenges in precarious employment
2. State responses
   • labour inspection and enforcement
   • social protection expansion
   • active labour market policies
3. Corporate responses and limits
   • CSR vs binding accountability
   • supplier networks and responsibility dilution
4. Policy pathway summary
   • 4–5 policy principles (standards enforcement, reduce precariousness, protect rights, link skills to jobs)

Conclusion

• Conclude with balanced evaluation: best outcomes arise when worker power and state enforcement are strong.

Concrete “Example Insertion” Strategy for South Africa

Since exams reward examples, adopt a consistent method:

1. Name the sector or scenario (e.g., subcontracted production, platform delivery, youth training).
2. Link it to a mechanism (cost pressure, flexibilisation, skill mismatch).
3. State the social outcome (precarity, inequality, welfare reliance).
4. Indicate a response (union action, labour inspection, social protection).
5. End with a one-sentence interpretation (why it matters sociologically).

This keeps your examples integrated rather than “tacked on.”

Last-Minute Revision Checklist (Practical)

Before the exam, ensure you can do the following quickly:

• Define globalisation in at least two dimensions (economic + cultural/technological/political).
• Explain one mechanism linking globalisation to work (subcontracting, flexibilisation, migration, digital platforms).
• Provide one South African mediated outcome (precarity, inequality, household coping, youth transitions).
• Provide one response (labour unions, state enforcement, social protection, skills-job linkage).
• Write a coherent thesis statement and keep it consistent across the essay.

Summary

SOC2602 views globalisation as a power-laden process that reshapes work and everyday life through labour restructuring, inequality dynamics, welfare changes, and institutional mediation. High marks come from mechanism-based explanations, the correct use of sociological concepts, and concrete South African examples linked to broader global patterns. When you write, aim to show not only what has changed, but how the changes travel from global forces to workplaces to households, and what responses can realistically reduce harm and expand decent work.