Our Work Together
The Center for Labor Studies at UC Santa Cruz is dedicated to the study of working people, the labor movement, and the challenge of the broader global economy as it impacts the working people of California and beyond. Through research, conferences, workshops, public lectures, and a range of guest speakers, we focus, in particular, on the relationship between the labor movement (broadly defined), social movements, and democratic practices; on gender, race, and ethnic dynamics; and on labor activism in international context. We also address a wide spectrum of questions related to the nature of work, employment, and working people’s lives in the U.S. and beyond.
Innovative Research Methods: Community Initiated Student Engaged Research or CISER is a form of organic public sociology that brings together 3 key groups – community organizations, university researchers, and students – into collaborative research partnerships to jointly tackle critical local issues. Our projects so far have explored issues such as low-wage work, mixed legal status families, the affordable housing crisis, middle school culture and climate, and youth civic engagement.
Some of our projects include:
- No Place Like Home
- Working for Dignity
- We Belong
