MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND GENETICS
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
POL4015	Special Topics in International Affairs	Spring	3	0	3	6

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 :	Assoc. Prof. ESRA ALBAYRAKOĞLU
Recommended Optional Program Components:	None
Course Objectives:	A new form of civic activism is taking root across the world. They diverge from traditional actors of civil society in their organizational and membership structure. There is an increasing debate among the researchers, practitioners and policy-makers on how representative and effective this new type of activism is. The aim of this course is to develop an in-depth understanding of new civic activism. Accordingly, the course will explore its actors, tools, relations and support mechanisms. The course will examine several case studies.

Learning Outcomes

The students who have succeeded in this course;
The students who have succeeded in this course;

I. Explain the basic features of an increasingly globalizing world;
II. Illustrate examples of major recurring or novel issues in world politics;
III. Discuss the impact of technology in politics;
IV. Grasp the rise of societies in participating local and global politics;
V. Develop competencies with respect to active inquiry and critical thinking.

Course Content

Major recurring or novel issues in international relations, basic features of an increasingly globalizing world, state and human security in the face of new risks and threats.

Weekly Detailed Course Contents

Week	Subject	Related Preparation
1)	Introduction to the Course
2)	Civil society, New Social Movements and New Civic Activism	— Snow, D.A, Soule, S. A., and H. Kriesi (2004). Mapping the Terrain. In D. Snow, S. A. Soule and H. Kriesi (eds.), The Blackwell Companion to Social Movements. UK: Blackwell — Youngs, R. (2017). Introduction. In R. Youngs (Ed.), Global civic activism in flux. Washington, DC: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Available at https://carnegieeurope.eu/2017/03/17/global-civic-activism-in-flux-pub-68301#intro
3)	Civic Cooperation: NGOs and New Activists	— Glasius, M., and Ishkanian, A. (2015). Surreptitious symbiosis: Engagement between activists and NGOs. Voluntas, 26, 2620–2644. — Zihnioğlu, Ö. (2018).” The Prospects of Civic Alliance: New Civic Activists Acting Together with Civil Society Organizations”, Voluntas. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-018-0032-9
4)	Digital Activism	— Diamond, L. (2010). ‘Liberation technology’, Journal of Democracy, 21 (3): 69-83. — A. Breuer, T. Landman and D. Farquhar, (2015). ‘Social media and protest mobilization: evidence from the Tunisian revolution’, Democratization, 22(4): 764–792.
5)	New Civic Activism: Case Studies
6)	Activism and Protests	— Leetaru, K. (30 May 2014). ‘Did the Arab spring really spark a wave of global protests?’, Foreign Policy. — The Economist Intelligence Unit (2013). Rebels Without a Cause: What the Upsurge in Protest Movements Means for Global Politics, EIU Report.
7)	REVIEW BEFORE MIDTERM
8)	Midterm Exam
9)	Activism and Democracy	— Maleki A.,and Hendriks, F. (2015). ‘The Relation Between Cultural Values and Models of Democracy: A Cross-National Study’, Democratization, 22(6): 981–1010.
10)	International Support for Civic Activism	— Agg, C. (2006). Trends in Government Support for Non-Governmental Organizations: Is the “Golden Age” of the NGO Behind Us?, Civil Society and Social Movements Programme Paper Number 23, Geneva, United Nations Research Institute for Social Development. — L. Whitehead, (2015). ‘International democracy promotion as political ideology: upsurge and retreat’, Journal of Political Ideologies, 20(1): 10–26.
11)	Right-wing Activism	— Shapovalova , N. (2018). The Two Faces of Conservative Civil Society in Ukraine. In R. Youngs (Ed.), The Mobilization of Conservative Civil Society. Washington, DC: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Youngs, R. (2017). Introduction. In R. Youngs (Ed.), The Mobilization of Conservative Civil Society. Washington, DC: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
12)	Presentations
13)	Presentations
14)	Overview

Sources

Course Notes / Textbooks:	Articles in Course Package
References:	Articles in Course Package

Evaluation System

Semester Requirements	Number of Activities	Level of Contribution
Attendance	13	% 10
Presentation	1	% 10
Midterms	1	% 30
Final	1	% 50
Total		% 100
PERCENTAGE OF SEMESTER WORK		% 50
PERCENTAGE OF FINAL WORK		% 50
Total		% 100

ECTS / Workload Table

Activities	Number of Activities	Workload
Course Hours	11	33
Study Hours Out of Class	12	93
Presentations / Seminar	1	15
Midterms	1	2
Final	1	2
Total Workload		145

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)	Utilize the wealth of information stored in computer databases to answer basic biological questions and solve problems such as diagnosis and treatment of diseases.	3
2)	Acquire an ability to compile and analyze biological information, clearly present and discuss the conclusions, the inferred knowledge and the arguments behind them both in oral and written format.	4
3)	Develop critical, creative and analytical thinking skills.	5
4)	Develop effective communication skills and have competence in scientific speaking, reading and writing abilities in English and Turkish.	3
5)	Gain knowledge of different techniques and methods used in genetics and acquire the relevant laboratory skills.	4
6)	Detect biological problems, learn to make hypothesis and solve the hypothesis by using variety of experimental and observational methods.	4
7)	Gain knowledge of methods for collecting quantitative and qualitative data and obtain the related skills.	3
8)	Conduct research through paying attention to ethics, human values and rights. Pay special attention to confidentiality of information while working with human subjects.	5
9)	Obtain basic concepts used in theory and practices of molecular biology and genetics and establish associations between them.	4
10)	Search and use literature to improve himself/herself and follow recent developments in science and technology.	5
11)	Be aware of the national and international problems in the field and search for solutions.	4