PRL3520 Public DiplomacyBahçeşehir UniversityDegree Programs PSYCHOLOGYGeneral Information For StudentsDiploma SupplementErasmus Policy StatementNational QualificationsBologna Commission
PSYCHOLOGY
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
PRL3520 Public Diplomacy Fall 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 : Prof. Dr. İDİL KARADEMİRLİDAĞ SUHER
Recommended Optional Program Components: None
Course Objectives: - To introduce various concepts and examples of public. To explain the structure and perception of in and out-groups (“we” and “others”).
- To get informed about the historical development of the definition and content of the concept of public diplomacy.
- To present the concrete historical phenomena of the word leaders’ influence on their own public opinion.
- To cover the classical case studies of the past where the foreign publics have been influenced during normal or extraordinary (in particular during warlike or cold war) situations.
- To understand the Importance of the Winning the Hearts of One’s Own Public.
- To comprehend the need to have an integrated strategical perspective in winning the domestic and foreign publics.
- To have practices inspired by the case studies in developing innovative and creative projects and programs to influence domestic and foreign publics.

Learning Outcomes

The students who have succeeded in this course;
The students who have succeeded in this course;
1) Be able to gain a perspective on the definition of the Public Diplomacy concept, to discuss various explanations of it and its different features as opposed to the classical diplomacy in its evolution process.
2) Be able to have information and understanding of the general framework in which Public Diplomacy benefits from other disiplines.
3) Be able to get informed about the relationship between various leadership types and Public Diplomacy practices.
4) Be able to comprehend the close relationship between Public Diplomacy, Psychology and Political Psychology.
5) Be able to find out about the overlapping areas between Public Diplomacy and Public Relations, Advertisement, Publicity and Propaganda.
6) Be able to collect information about historical events in which Public Diplomacy studies the leadership types and the effect of their attitudes and behavior.
7) Be able to investigate that both in-groups and out-groups could range from a social group to a race, country or a block of countries.
8)  Be able to understand and evaluate which domestic public relatioons practices could be considered Public Diplomacy activities.
9) Be able to grasp the importance of having an impact on foreign public ıopinion.
10) Be able to recognize the classical and innovative tools and methods implemented to influence foreign public opinion.
11) Be able to conduct a case study practive to learn how to prepare a communications strategy targeting domestic and foreign public opinion.
12) Be able to develop a creative and examplary model to influence both domestic and foreign public opinion.
13) Be able to outline a research project in terms of composing an assessment report about Turkey's Public Diplomacy projects implemented in the past or still in effect to influence domestic and foreign public opinion.

Course Content

This course, to be intended to cover half a semester, introduces students of the Communications Department, to the concepts, projects and practices of Public Diplomacy, which already went beyond the classical diplomacy for some time – be them aiming to influence foreign publics, foreign opinion leaders and even domestic public – conducted by governments, states or institutions to create positive impressions, attitudes and behavior about themselves in the fields of culture, arts, economy, sports, science, health, tourism and so on.

Weekly Detailed Course Contents

Week Subject Related Preparation
1) Introduction, distribution of syllabus and the discussion of the concept of public diplomacy.
2) Historical development of the concept of public diplomacy; the place of the concepts of in and out-groups (we and others) in social and political sociology.
3) Concrete examples of world leaders’ influence on their own public opinion.
4) Classical examples of the activities aiming to influence the public opinion of other countries during extraordinary situations (in particular during the warlike and cold war periods)
5) Review of previous weeks for the midterm exam
6) The effect of influencing domestic public on the efforts of the winning foreign publics; an integrated approach; influencing domestic public, case studies-1: -The first government communications systems to inform the public in Turkey. - Governorate line - Ministry line initiative to set up the White Desk in municipalities and Prime Ministry Communications Center – BIMER – to channel and coordinate citizens’ grievances.
7) The effect of influencing domestic public on the efforts of the winning foreign publics; an integrated approach; influencing domestic public, case studies-2: - Public Relations in a District – A Case Study. - On-the-job training of the Secretaries of the high level government officials and public relations officers through the collaboration of the Prime Ministry and Ankara Public Relations Association.
8) The effect of influencing domestic public on the efforts of the winning foreign publics; an integrated approach; influencing domestic public, case studies-3 -The Project of the Volunteers Working in the Health Institutions. -Works at the Prime Ministry Higher Coordinating Council devoted to the general public.
9) The effect of influencing domestic public on the efforts of the winning foreign publics; an integrated approach; influencing domestic public, case studies-4 -The Project of the UNIVERSITY FAMILY (UNI-FAMILY). -The managament of two pages of a local newspaper by high school students – FROM DESK TO TOWN. - The facilitating legal framework for the non-governmental organizations in Turkey and practices
10) Review of previous weeks for the midterm exam
11) Influencing domestic and foreign publics, case studies - 1 - Peshmerga from the Northern Iraq fleeing Saddam’s oppression and entering Turkey through Çukurca district, and developments afterwards. - Relations of the Diyarbakır Regional Governor’s Office with the domestic and foreign media as well as the people of the region. - Managing activities of the Minnesota International Center aiming to influence domestic and international public, and the Istanbul International Center Project: Twin Cities Honorary Citizenship Awards and Istanbul Honorary Citizenship Awards.
12) Influencing domestic and foreign publics, case studies - 2 - Festival of Nations, Renaissance Festivals, Poetry-Literature-Culture-Arts Festivals, Exchange Programs. - Historical Re-enactments and Tourism. - Cinema, television and the social media
13) Influencing domestic and foreign publics, case studies - 3 - Case Studies of nation, city and organizational branding: Singapore, Ireland, South Africa, Bursa, Yalova and Eskişehir (King Midas) case studies. - The Domestic and Foreign Publics Communications Strategy of Turkey, in Terms of its EU Membership Accession Process. - Presentation of the innovative and creative public diplomacy projects selected among the term papers written by students.
14) Review of subjects and evaluation of the course

Sources

Course Notes / Textbooks: 1. Siyaset Psikolojisine Giriş (Introduction to Political Psychology), Martha L. Cottam, Elena Mastors, Thomas Preston, Beth Dietz, Eksi Yayınları, Ankara, 2017
2. Türk Dış Politikası ve Kamu Diplomasisi (Turkish Foreign Policy and Public Diplomacy), Makale, Doç. Dr. Ertan Efegil, Kamu Diplomasisi Enstitüsü, (kamudiplomasisi.org)
3. Kamu Diplomasisi – Stratejik Halkla İlişkiler Yönetimi (Public Diplomacy – Strategic Public Relations Management), Makale-Sunum, Maltepe Üniversitesi (www.slideshare.net/ismailsarp/kamu-diplomasisi-sunum)
4. Halkla İlişkiler Yöntemi Olarak Kamu Diplomasisi (Public Diplomacy as Public Relations Function), Aslı Yağmurlu, İletişim Araştırmaları Dergisi (2007, Sayı 5(1)
5. “Toward a Dialogic Theory of Public Relations.”, Kent, Michael L. and Maureen Taylor (2002) Public Relations Review 28: 21-37
6. “Diplomasi olarak Halkla İlişkiler.” Halkla İlişkilerde Eleştirel Yaklaşımlar. (der.) Jacquie L’Etang ve Magda Pieczka. Ankara: Vadi Yayınları
7. Strategic Public Diplomacy: The Evolution of Influence, Manheim, Jarol B. (1990), NY: Oxford University
8. Public Diplomacy in Practice. Netherlands, Jan and Ingrid d’Hooghe (2005), Information and Communications Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Nederland
9. International Cultural Relations, Mitchell, J.H. (1986), London: Allen and Unwin
10. “Public Relations and Public Diplomacy: Conceptual Convergences”, Signitzer, Benno and Timothy Coombs (1992) Public Relations Review 18(2): 137- 147
11. “The Rhetoric of Public Diplomacy and Propaganda Wars: A View from Self-Presentation Theory” Mor, Ben D. (2007) European Journal of Political Research 46: 661-683
12. “Rethinking Public Diplomacy.” Routledge Handbook of Public Diplomacy. (der.) Nancy Snow ve Philip Taylor. NY: Routledge
References: 1. Başbakanlık Kamu Diplomasisi Koordinatörlüğü: https://kdk.gov.tr/
2.- Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs: https://www.state.gov/r 

Evaluation System

Semester Requirements Number of Activities Level of Contribution
Homework Assignments 1 % 20
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 Duration (Hours) Workload
Course Hours 14 3 42
Study Hours Out of Class 13 6 78
Homework Assignments 1 3 3
Midterms 1 3 3
Final 1 4 4
Total Workload 130

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) To develop an interest in the human mind and behavior, to be able to evaluate theories using empirical findings, to understand that psychology is an evidence-based science by acquiring critical thinking skills.
2) To gain a biopsychosocial perspective on human behavior. To understand the biological, psychological, and social variables of behavior.
3) To learn the basic concepts in psychology and the theoretical and practical approaches used to study them (e.g. basic observation and interview techniques).
4) To acquire the methods and skills to access and write information using English as the dominant language in the psychological literature, to recognize and apply scientific research and data evaluation techniques (e.g. correlational, experimental, cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, case studies).
5) To be against discrimination and prejudice; to have ethical concerns while working in research and practice areas.
6) To recognize the main subfields of psychology (experimental, developmental, clinical, cognitive, social and industrial/organizational psychology) and their related fields of study and specialization.
7) To acquire the skills necessary for analyzing, interpreting and presenting the findings as well as problem posing, hypothesizing and data collection, which are the basic elements of scientific studies.
8) To gain the basic knowledge and skills necessary for psychological assessment and evaluation.
9) To acquire basic knowledge of other disciplines (medicine, genetics, biology, economics, sociology, political science, communication, philosophy, anthropology, literature, law, art, etc.) that will contribute to psychology and to use this knowledge in the understanding and interpretation of psychological processes.
10) To develop sensitivity towards social problems; to take responsibility in activities that benefit the field of psychology and society.
11) To have problem solving skills and to be able to develop the necessary analytical approaches for this.
12) To be able to criticize any subject in business and academic life and to be able to express their thoughts.