Case studies in Learning in practice courses invite students to review a narrative presentation of a professional issue, learn about specialized vocabulary and concerns in a field, and identify how people use skills at work. Students will learn about the kinds of questions and problems people working in different industries have to address, and analyze the outcomes of each case they read. One course should include at least three short case studies so students have multiple opportunities to practice analyzing and evaluating a professional issue.

Texts

Land Management and Environmental Policy

• John Seabrook, “In an Age of Climate Change, How do we Cope with Floods?” https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/07/28/in-an-age-of-climate-change-how-do-we-cope-with-floods (Water Management Engineer)
• M.R. O’Connor, “Inside the Fight Against a Los Angeles Inferno.” https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/02/03/inside-the-fight-against-a-los-angeles-inferno (Firefighter)
• Paige Williams, “Lake Tahoe’s Bear Boom.” https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/12/02/lake-tahoes-bear-boom (Wildlife Management, Forestry Worker)

Healthcare / Medicine

• Susan Burton, “This American Life, Episode 864: Chicago Hope.” https://www.thisamericanlife.org/864/chicago-hope (Ob/Gyn Surgeon)
• Joshua Rothman, “A Family Doctor’s Search for Salvation.” https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/07/21/greg-gulbransen-profile-doctor-pediatrician (Physician, Social Worker)
• Rachel Pearson, “Bedside Manners.” https://harpers.org/archive/2025/10/bedside-manners-rachel-pearson-empathy-medical-education/ (Physician)
• Stephanie Taladrid, “The Texas OB/GYN Exodus.” https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/12/02/the-texas-ob-gyn-exodus (Reproductive Healthcare Provider)
• Nightshift NYC, chapter 4, “A stillness.” (ER Nurse)
• Nightshift NYC, chapter 5, “Stay awake.” (Respiratory Therapist)
• Nightshift NYC, chapter 6, “You have to give up something.” (Nurse)
• Atul Gawande, Being Mortal. 
• Gig, Chapter 11, “Children and Teachers: Labor-Support Doula.”
• Gig, Chapter 14, “Bodies and Souls (Various cases).”

Postal Service / Mail Carrier

• Ira Glass, “This American Life, Episode 838 (Prologue): Letters! Actual Letters!” https://www.thisamericanlife.org/838/letters-actual-letters

Education / Schoolteaching

• Alec MacGillis, “Has School Become Optional?” https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/01/15/has-school-become-optional (Teacher, Principal)
• This American Life, “Stand Clear of the Closing Doors.” Act 4. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/818/stand-clear-of-the-closing-doors (Teacher, School Counselor)
• Hua Hsu, “What Happens After A.I. Destroys College Writing?” https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/07/07/the-end-of-the-english-paper (Teacher, Professor, Higher Education Administrator)
• Emma Green, “What Comes After D.E.I.?” https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/04/21/what-comes-after-dei (Professor, Higher Ed Administrator)
• Gig, Chapter 9, “Sports and Gambling: High School Basketball Coach.”
• Gig, Chapter 11, “Children and Teachers: Second-Grade Teacher; High School Math Teacher; College Professor.”

Film / TV / Advertising

• Emily Nussbaum, “Is ‘Love is Blind’ a Toxic Workplace?” https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/05/27/is-love-is-blind-a-toxic-workplace (TV Editor, Producer, Videographer)
• Jennifer Wilson, “How I Learned to Become an Intimacy Coordinator. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/06/16/how-i-learned-to-become-an-intimacy-coordinator (Intimacy Coordinator)
• Rachel Syme, “The Hollywood Slog that Led Adam Scott to ‘Severance.’” https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/12/30/adam-scott-profile (Actor)
• Gig, Chapter 6, “Food: Food Stylist.”

Science and Energy

• Dirty Work, chapter 9, “Dirty energy.” (Engineer / Oil Rig Worker)
• Sharon Lerner, “How 3M Discovered, then Concealed, the Dangers of Forever Chemicals.”  https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/05/27/3m-forever-chemicals-pfas-pfos-toxic (Corporate Scientist)

Housing and Public Housing Administration

• This American Life, “Stand Clear of the Closing Doors.” Prologue, Act 2 and Act 5. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/818/stand-clear-of-the-closing-doors (Supportive Housing Advocate)
• Jennifer Egan, “A Journey from Homeless to a Room of One’s Own.” https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/09/18/a-journey-from-homelessness-to-a-room-of-ones-own (Homeless Services and Supportive Housing Administrator)
• Nightshift NYC, chapter 13, “The real hard core.” (Homeless Advocate / Resource Provider)

Mortician / Cemetery Director

• Paige Williams, “Green-Wood Cemetery’s Living Dead.” https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/06/09/green-wood-cemeterys-living-dead
• Gig, Chapter 14, “Bodies and Souls: Funeral Home Director.”

Journalism / Media

• Clare Malone, “Is Jeff Bezos Selling Out the Washington Post?” https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/05/26/is-jeff-bezos-selling-out-the-washington-post (Journalist, Newspaper Editor, Media Executive)
• Gig, Chapter 7, “Media: Journalist.”

Law, Law Enforcement and Security

• Lustbader, S. The Feminist Law Professor Who Wants to Stop Arresting People for Domestic Violence. https://www.newyorker.com/news/persons-of-interest/the-feminist-law-professor-who-wants-to-stop-arresting-people-for-domestic-violence (Police Officer, Prosecutor, Judge)
• Nightshift NYC, chapter 3, “Our own little city.” (Homeland Security Officer)
• Nightshift NYC, chapter 14, “I’m here all night.” (Doorman)
• Dirty Work, chapter 1, “Dual Loyalties.” (Prison Mental Health Counselor)
• Dirty Work, chapter 2, “The Other Prisoners.” (Corrections Officer)
• Gig, Chapter 12, “Lawyers and the Law (Various cases)”

Law and Government

• Kelefa Sanneh, “Ras Baraka: Reasonable Radical.” https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/10/07/ras-baraka-profile
• Gig, Chapter 12: “Lawyers and the Law (Various cases)”
• Gig, Chapter 13: “Government and Military (Various cases)”

Transportation

• Gonnerman, Jennifer. “A Transit Worker’s Survival Story.” https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/08/31/a-transit-workers-survival-story (Bus Driver)
• Gig, Chapter 4, “Transportation: Bus Driver.”
• Gig, Chapter 4, “Transportation: Train Engineer.”
• Nightshift NYC, chapter 2, “I’ll take my chances on the nightshift.” (Taxi Driver)
• Nightshift NYC, chapter 12, “Everyone is the same down there.” (Train Conductor, MTA Social Worker)
• Nightshift NYC, chapter 15, “Night boat weekends.” (Ferry Deckhand)
• Molly Crabapple, “How the Taxi Workers Won.” https://www.thenation.com/article/society/taxi-driver-strike/
• Elias Schisgall (New York Focus), “‘I Don’t See No Future’: Hundreds of Taxi Drivers Left in Debt as Lenders Balk at Loan Deal.” https://nysfocus.com/2024/09/03/taxi-drivers-debt-lenders-mpr-plus
• Erum Salam, “New York City Taxi Drivers End Hunger Strike After Reaching Deal on Debt Relief.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/nov/04/new-york-city-taxi-drivers-end-hunger-strike-debt-relief
• This American Life, “Stand Clear of the Closing Doors.” Act 1. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/818/stand-clear-of-the-closing-doors (Bus Driver)

Flight Attendant

• Jennifer Gonnerman, “Flight Attendants Fight Back.” https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/05/30/flight-attendants-fighting-back
• Gig, Chapter 4, “Transportation: Flight Attendant.”

Social Work / Mental Healthcare

• Nightshift NYC, chapter 12, “Everyone is the same down there.” (Train Conductor, MTA Social Worker)
• Dirty Work, chapter 1, “Dual Loyalties.” (Prison Mental Health Counselor)

Tech

• Gig, chapter 2, “Goods and Services: Computer Chip Layout Designer.”
• Anna Wiener, Uncanny Valley.
• Kyle Chayka, “Bluesky’s Quest to Build Non-Toxic Social Media.” https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/04/14/blueskys-quest-to-build-nontoxic-social-media

Business Management

• Nightshift NYC, chapter 1, “One Big Family.” (Restaurant manager)
• Gig, Chapter 1, “Workers and Managers (Various)” 
• Gig, Chapter 5, “Food (Various).”

More texts – organized by genre

Arthur Andersen Business Ethics Case Studies

https://johnhooker.tepper.cmu.edu/ethics/aa/arthurandersen.htm

Case studies about business ethics. Well written, detailed and interesting scenarios with lots of dilemmas that could prompt student assignments. Each case study comes with teaching notes. 

MIT Sloan School of Management Case Studies

https://mitsloan.mit.edu/teaching-resources-library/case-studies

Very detailed (kind of long) case studies of real-life events in business that pose ethical, sociopolitical and managerial questions. Could easily be applied to specific jobs in government (policy/regulation), entrepreneurship, marketing, finance…

Books about work, for a more general audience, to draw case studies from

Working by Studs Terkel 

Is This Working?: The Jobs We Do Told by the People Who Do Them by Charlie Colenutt 

(N.B.) This is a U.K. book and may not work well with our students. A direct nod to Terkel’s method, Colenutt interviews UK workers across diverse fields—from accountants to delivery riders to cleaners—capturing both emotional exhaustion and unexpected fulfillment in modern-day labor

Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

Narrative journalism about doctors’ blind spots in an end-of-life care context. The issues might be a little too specialized for our course, but the writing is good enough that the case studies could yield more general workplace analysis.

Gig: Americans Talk about their Jobs, edited by John Bowe, Marisa Bowe and Sabin Streeter

“For three years, the editors of Word, a leading web magazine, sent interviewers all over America to question people about their work. There are the conventional jobs – lawyer, nurse, steelworker, actor, journalist; the not so conventional jobs – clutter consultant, adhesives company sales rep, heavy metal roadie, buffalo rancher, supermodel; and the just plain bizarre job – crime scene cleaner, adult web mistress, Elvis Presley interpreter, telephone psychic, Wal-Mart Greeter. And everything in between – 120 different jobs in total. Inspired by Studs Terkel’s 1972 classic book, Working, these interviews have spawned a collection of fabulous monologues: people talking about what their jobs are really like and how they make them feel about themselves.” –synopsis from Book Outlet

Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber

Anthropological examination of how much white collar professional work has become meaningless and superfluous – though it justifies wealth inequality and class hierarchy. The book is a political provocation but it’s also a collection of rich and interesting case studies that professors might be able to use to generate premises for assignments and discussion.

The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling by Arlie Russell Hochschild

Case studies examining two professions: flight attendants and bill collectors. Hochschild’s book is an argument about how the intense emotional labor (“feeling rules”) exemplified by both these types of jobs has concerning implications. 

Nightshift NYC by Cheryl Harris Sharman and Russell Leigh Sharman

Profiles of nightshift workers in NYC.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Case Studies On Integrity and Ethics

There are six case studies available here. Here’s one example:

An international soft drink company has a signature soft drink that it sells all over the world. In India, the version of the soft drink complies with Indian food and health regulations, but is less healthy than the drink sold in the European market where the law is stricter. The soft drink company is obeying the law in India, but it is selling an inferior, less healthy product in a developing country.

What are the issues of integrity, ethics and law posed in the case study? What options does the soft drink company and the government of India have, and what should they do and why?

Lecturer Guidelines

Some of the questions raised by this case study include how the issue first arose, including globalization, and why the company and the country would benefit and not benefit from the current position; whether the company and country are acting ethically, with integrity, and consistent with law; the role that consumers in India and elsewhere play in this case study; and the different approaches the company could take to health standards, e.g. establishing its own standard to meet even if that standard exceeds what is required in a particular country.

“Man’s Best Friend” in the Workplace 

A case study from the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. The case study explores a situation in which a middle manager is caught between the desire of a worker to have an emotional support dog in the workplace and management/budgetary restraints. The full case study can be found here. More case studies from the center can be found here.