DIGITAL GAME DESIGN
Bachelor	TR-NQF-HE: Level 6	QF-EHEA: First Cycle	EQF-LLL: Level 6

Course Introduction and Application Information

Course Code	Course Name	Semester	Theoretical	Practical	Credit	ECTS
SOC4091	Readings in Sociology	Spring	3	0	3	5

This catalog is for information purposes. Course status is determined by the relevant department at the beginning of semester.

Basic information

Language of instruction:	English
Type of course:	Non-Departmental Elective
Course Level:	Bachelor’s Degree (First Cycle)
Mode of Delivery:	Face to face
Course Coordinator :	Assist. Prof. AYŞEGÜL AKDEMİR
Recommended Optional Program Components:	"."
Course Objectives:	This medium-to-advanced level sociology course on “Readings in Sociology: Postcolonial/Decolonial Sociologies” aims to explore the intricate interplay between individual subjectivities and multifaceted, structural sociocultural factors in the context of post/decolonial theory and its influence on social theory. Students will critically engage with the seminal works of influential thinkers such as W.E.B. Du Bois, Sigmund Freud, Frantz Fanon, Edward Said, Homi K. Bhabha, Stuart Hall, Paul Gilroy, Lila Abu-Lughod, Gayatri Spivak, and Trint T. Minh-ha among many other eminent figures. Students will examine how the ideas of these names illuminate the psychological and sociopolitical dimensions of colonial and postcolonial existence, having the opportunity to develop a nuanced understanding of key sociological concepts of postcoloniality like double consciousness, hybridity, and cultural hegemony. As they foster analytical skills to assess the relevance of these theories in contemporary social issues, students will be encouraged to apply these theoretical frameworks to case studies that illustrate the ongoing consequences of colonial legacies in today's global societies.

Learning Outcomes

The students who have succeeded in this course;
Students that succeed in this course will be able to:

1. To understand key postcolonial concepts such as hybridity, otherness, cultural hegemony, and double consciousness, and apply them to various contemporary social phenomena.
2. To critically evaluate the impact of colonial legacies on present-day global structures and identities, using postcolonial sociological theoretical frameworks.
3. To demonstrate an ability to synthesize different theoretical sociological perspectives from postcolonial thinkers and apply them to real-world contexts and contemporary global issues.
4. To apply psychosocial insights from figures like Freud and Fanon to analyze how the colonial experience has shaped psychological and sociological dynamics in postcolonial societies.
5. To critically assess case studies that exemplify how postcolonial frameworks can illuminate ongoing struggles related to identity, migration, and global inequality.
6. To analyze the intersection of race, class, and gender in the formation of postcolonial identities and how these axes of identity shape social and political structures.
7. To understand and critically assess feminist and intersectional critiques of colonialism and postcoloniality, focusing on the ways gender and sexuality are impacted by colonial histories.
8. To engage with postcolonial literature to recognize the interconnectedness of individual narratives with larger social and historical phenomena.
9. To demonstrate the ability to connect postcolonial theory with contemporary events, identifying ongoing global inequalities and power dynamics shaped by colonial histories.

Course Content

This course’s focus in on postcolonial/decolonial sociologies. It provides a comprehensive examination of postcolonial and decolonial sociologies, engaging with the key thinkers and themes that have shaped the field. Starting with foundational discussions on decolonizing sociology, students explore works by scholars like W.E.B. Du Bois, Sigmund Freud, Frantz Fanon, and Edward Said to understand the psychological and sociopolitical dimensions of colonialism. The course focuses on essential postcolonial concepts such as double consciousness, hybridity, and cultural hegemony, applying these ideas to contemporary social issues. Feminist and intersectional critiques play a crucial role in examining how gender, race, and sexuality are intertwined with colonial histories.

Weekly Detailed Course Contents

Week	Subject	Related Preparation
1)	Ders Gereksinimlerine Giriş (Ders İçeriği Tanıtımı)	C. W. Mills, Excerpts from The Sociological Imagination R. Connell (2018). “Decolonizing Sociology”. Pp. 399-407 (7)
2)	The Foundational Aspects of Postcolonial Sociology	 J. Go (2016). “For a Postcolonial Sociology”. Pp. 25-55 (30).  S. Seidman (2016). The Colonial Unconscious of Classical Sociology. Pp. 35-54 (20).
3)	Du Bois' Concept of Double Consciousness and its Relevance in Decolonial Studies	 W. E. B. Du Bois, Excerpts from The Souls of Black Folk (1903).  M. F. Weiner (2018). “Decolonial Sociology: W.E.B. Du Bois’s Foundational Theoretical and Methodological Contributions”. Pp. 16 (15).
4)	Understanding Freud's Psychoanalysis in relation to Colonial Subjectivities	 S. Freud (1917). “Lecture I”. Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis. Pp. 39-49 (11).  S. Freud. (1917). “Lectures XVII & XVIII”. Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis. Pp. 296-326 (31).
5)	Freud’s Analysis of the Human Psyche in the context of Colonial Repression and Desires	 S. Freud (1917). “Lectures XIX & XX”. Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis. Pp. 327-361 (35).  S. Freud (1917). “Lecture XXI”. Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis. Pp. 362-382 (21).
6)	Exploring Frantz Fanon’s Psychological Analysis of Colonialism’s Impact on Identity	 F. Fanon (1952). “Introduction”. Black Skin, White Masks. Pp: xi-xviii (8).  F. Fanon. “Chapter 1 & Chapter 2”. Black Skin, White Masks. Pp: 1-44 (44).
7)	Fanon’s Critique of Colonial Power Dynamics and Psychological Trauma	 F. Fanon (1952). “Chapter 3”. Black Skin, White Masks. Pp. 45-63 (18).  F. Fanon (1952). “Chapter 5 & Chapter 6”. Black Skin, White Masks. Pp: 82-122 (37)
8)	Midterm Exam (In class)	Exam
9)	Edward Said’s Critique of Western Depictions of the East and the Concept of the "Other”	 E. Said, E. (1978). “Introduction” & “Knowing the Oriental” & “Crisis” Orientalism: Western Conceptions of the Orient. Pp. 1-28; 31-49; 92-110 (73).
10)	Examining Césaire's Discourse on Colonialism and Stuart Hall’s Reflections on Postcoloniality	 Césaire (1950). Selected Parts from Discourse on Colonialism. Pp. 31-64  S. Hall (1996). “When Was ‘The Post-Colonial’? Thinking at The Limit.”. The Postcolonial Question: Common skies, Divided Horizons. Pp. 242-260 (18)
11)	Hybridity, Race, and the Continuing Legacy of Colonialism in Modern Global Structures	 P. Gilroy (2003). “Race is Ordinary: Britain’s Post-Colonial Melancholia”. Pp. 31-46 (15)  A. Quijano (2007). “Coloniality and Modernity/Rationality” Cultural Studies 21. Pp. 168-178. (10)
12)	Feminist Perspectives on Postcolonial Theory	 K. Appiah, “The Postcolonial and the Postmodern”. The Post-Colonial Studies Reader. Pp. 119-124.  T. T. Minh-Ha (1989). “Writing Postcoloniality and Feminism”. The Post-Colonial Studies Reader. Pp. 264-268. (4)  C. T. Mohanty (1984). “Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses”. Boundary. Pp. 333-358 (26)
13)	Gender, Sexuality, and the Colonial System	M. Lugones (2007). “Heterosexualism and the Colonial/Modern Gender System”. Hypatia. Pp. 186-209 (23). A. Stoler (1997). “Carnal Knowledge and Imperial Power”. The Gender/ Sexuality Reader. Pp. 13-36
14)	The Politics of the Subaltern and the Cultural Relativism	G. C. Spivak (2003). “Can the Subaltern Speak?” Die Philosophin. Pp. 42-58 (16) L. Abu-Lughod (2002) “Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving? Anthropological Reflections on Cultural Relativism and its Others.” American Anthropologist. Pp. 783-790 (7)

Sources

Course Notes / Textbooks:

Dersin eğitmeni tarafından ItsLearning platformunda, özenle seçilmiş makaleler, kitap bölümleri ve kaynaklardan alıntılar içeren kişisel olarak küratörlüğü yapılmış bir ders paketi sağlanacaktır.
*Her hafta, öğrencilerin en az iki orijinal teorik ve/veya ampirik makale/bölüm okuması gerekecektir. Tüm materyaller ItsLearning'e yüklenecektir. Öğrenciler, derse gelmeden önce haftalık olarak verilen bölüm ve makaleleri okumakla yükümlüdür!

A personally curated course pack of various selected articles, book chapters, and excerpts from selected resources will be provided by the instructor on ItsLearning.
*Each week, students will be required to read at least two original theoretical and/or empirical articles/chapters. All material will be uploaded to itslearning. Students are obliged to read the weekly assigned chapter and papers before coming to class!

References:

Evaluation System

Semester Requirements	Number of Activities	Level of Contribution
Attendance	1	% 10
Quizzes	2	% 20
Midterms	1	% 30
Final	1	% 40
Total		% 100
PERCENTAGE OF SEMESTER WORK		% 60
PERCENTAGE OF FINAL WORK		% 40
Total		% 100

ECTS / Workload Table

Activities	Number of Activities	Duration (Hours)	Workload
Course Hours	14	3	42
Study Hours Out of Class	14	5	70
Midterms	2	4	8
Final	1	2	2
Total Workload			122

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

No Effect	1 Lowest	2 Low	3 Average	4 High	5 Highest

	Program Outcomes	Level of Contribution
1)	Comprehend the conceptual importance of the game in the field of communication, ability to implement the player centered application to provide design.
2)	Analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information and ideas from various perspectives.
3)	Analyze the key elements that make up specific game genres, forms of interactions, mode of narratives and understand how they are employed effectively to create a successful game.
4)	Understand game design theories and methods as well as implement them during game development; to make enjoyable, attractive, instructional and immersive according to the target audience.
5)	Understand the technology and computational principles involved in developing games and master the use of game engines.
6)	Understand the process of creation and use of 2D and 3D assets and animation for video games.
7)	Understand and master the theories and methodologies of understanding and measuring player experience and utilize them during game development process.
8)	Comprehend and master how ideas, concepts and topics are conveyed via games followed by the utilization of these aspects during the development process.
9)	Manage the game design and development process employing complete documentation; following the full game production pipeline via documentation.
10)	Understand and employ the structure and work modes of game development teams; comprehend the responsibilities of team members and collaborations between them while utilizing this knowledge in practice.
11)	Understand the process of game publishing within industry standards besides development and utilize this knowledge practice.
12)	Pitching a video game to developers, publishers, and players; mastering the art of effectively communicating and marketing the features and commercial potential of new ideas, concepts or games.