POL4442 Cinema and PoliticsBahçeşehir UniversityDegree Programs ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERINGGeneral Information For StudentsDiploma SupplementErasmus Policy StatementNational QualificationsBologna Commission
ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING
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
POL4442 Cinema and Politics 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: Hybrid
Course Coordinator : Prof. Dr. EBRU ŞULE CANAN SOKULLU
Course Lecturer(s): Dr. Öğr. Üyesi ARDA CAN KUMBARACIBAŞI
Recommended Optional Program Components: None
Course Objectives: This course analyzes the main tenets of crucial political events throughout the 20th and the 21st centuries and their representation in cinema. By looking into the connections between major political ideologies and milestone movies in cinema history, the course aims to provide students a better understanding of the events that transpired in recent history and their impacts within a critical framework. The course also makes use of theoretical works by known scholars in the field to deliver an in depth examination of a wide range of notions such as propaganda, war, activism, ethics, rights, role of media, social psychology, authority, ethnic conflict, terrorism, self-determination, mass surveillance, immigration and other international dynamics.

Learning Outcomes

The students who have succeeded in this course;
1. Examine the basic approaches to Film and Politics.
2. Grasp the key debates, concepts, approaches, theories and case studies that critique and explain the complex relationship between politics and cinema.
3. Compare films from around the world while looking into historical and contemporary cinema.
4. Analyze interactions between societies, governments and international actors.
5. Recognize the role of different social and political actors (e.g. states, civil society actors, international organizations, supranational structures) in local, national and global contexts.
6. Discuss processes of state development, democratization, inequality, mobilization and global networks.
7. Explore the wider relationship between politics and entertainment, examines cinema’s response to political and social transformations and questions the extent to which filmmaking, itself, is a political act.
8. Develop critical thinking skills.

Course Content

Impact of Film; Propaganda; War and Cinema (Second World War, the Cold War, Vietnam War); Conflict; Fascism; Holocaust; Totalitarianism; Authoritarianism; Political Activism; Socialism; Communism; Neo-Marxism; Cuban Revolution; Nationalism and Self-Determination; Ethics; Rights; Citizenship; Minorities; Ethnicity; Immigration; Feminism and Gender Politics; Role of Media; Terrorism; Globalism.

Weekly Detailed Course Contents

Week Subject Related Preparation
1) Introduction Yannis Tzioumakis, Claire Molloy - The Routledge Companion to Cinema and Politics. Andrew Heywood - Political Ideologies.
2) Film and Propaganda Richard Schickel - Charlie Chaplin: A Life in Film. Alexander J. DeGrand - Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. J. S. McClelland - A History of Western Political Thought Neil Pagesm Mary Rhiel, Ingeborg Majer-O'Sickey - Riefenstahl Screened. Jonathan Auerbach, Russ Castronovo - The Oxford Handbook of Propaganda Studies.
3) Totalitarianism and the Second World War Hannah Arendt - Banality of Evil. Primo Levi - The Gray Zone.
4) The Cold War Era Bernard Schaefer - The Lives of Others: East Germany Revisited. John O Koehler - Stasi.
5) Political Activism I (Socialism) G. S. Prentzas - The Cuban Revolution Jon Lee Anderson - Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life Peter McLaren - Che Guevara Paulo Drinot - Che's Travels
6) Political Activism II (Anarchism) Robert Sklar - The Baader Meinhof Complex Julian Preece - Baader-Meinhof and the Novel Steve Giles, Maike Oergel - Counter-Cultures in Germany and Central Europe Christina Gerhardt - The Baader Meinhof Complex Chang Hyun Cho - Der Baader Meinhof Komplex
7) Midterm Exam
8) Political Activism III (Nationalism) Henry Veltmeyer - Imperialism, Crisis and Class Struggle A.P. Thornton - Imperialism in the Twentieth Century John Galtung - A Structural Theory of Imperialism
9) War and Cinema I Bonnie L. Green, et. al. - Trauma Interventions in War and Peace Kenneth Payne - The Psychology of Modern Conflict Martin J. Medhurst - Cold War Rhetoric, strategy, metaphor, and ideology
10) War and Cinema II Michael Taillard, Holly Giscoppa - Psychology and Modern Warfare: Idea Management in Conflict and Competition Patricia Keeton, Peter Scheckner - American War Cinema and Media since Vietnam Politics, Ideology, and Class Ronnie D. Lipschutz - After Authority: War, Peace, and Global Politics in the 21st Century
11) Citizenship and Rights Sarah Gamble - The Routledge Companion to Feminism and PostFeminism Estelle B. Freedman - Feminism, Sexuality, and Politics Margaret Walters - Feminism. A Very Short Introduction
12) Politics and the Media Michael Griffin - Media Images of War Cees J. Hamelink - Media between Warmongers and Peacemakers Rune Ottosen - Enemy Images and the Journalistic Process
13) Terrorism Erin Steuter and Deborah Wills - Dehumanizing the Enemy in post 9/11 Media Representations John Lewis Gaddis - A Grand Strategy of Transformation Johan Galtung - Cultural Violence
14) Developing Nations and Problems of Democracy Adam Jones - Genocide and Mass Killing Scott Straus - Wars Do End: Changing Patterns of Political Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa

Sources

Course Notes / Textbooks: Yannis Tzioumakis, Claire Molloy - The Routledge Companion to Cinema and Politics.
Andrew Heywood - Political Ideologies.
Richard Schickel - Charlie Chaplin: A Life in Film.
Alexander J. DeGrand - Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany.
J. S. McClelland - A History of Western Political Thought
Neil Pagesm Mary Rhiel, Ingeborg Majer-O'Sickey - Riefenstahl Screened.
Jonathan Auerbach, Russ Castronovo - The Oxford Handbook of Propaganda Studies.
Hannah Arendt - Banality of Evil.
Primo Levi - The Gray Zone.
Bernard Schaefer - The Lives of Others: East Germany Revisited.
John O Koehler - Stasi.
Robert Sklar - The Baader Meinhof Complex
Julian Preece - Baader-Meinhof and the Novel
Steve Giles, Maike Oergel - Counter-Cultures in Germany and Central Europe
Christina Gerhardt - The Baader Meinhof Complex
Chang Hyun Cho - Der Baader Meinhof Komplex
G. S. Prentzas - The Cuban Revolution
Jon Lee Anderson - Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life
Peter McLaren - Che Guevara
Paulo Drinot - Che's Travels
Henry Veltmeyer - Imperialism, Crisis and Class Struggle
A.P. Thornton - Imperialism in the Twentieth Century
John Galtung - A Structural Theory of Imperialism
Bonnie L. Green, et. al. - Trauma Interventions in War and Peace
Kenneth Payne - The Psychology of Modern Conflict
Martin J. Medhurst - Cold War Rhetoric, strategy, metaphor, and ideology
Michael Taillard, Holly Giscoppa - Psychology and Modern Warfare: Idea Management in Conflict and Competition
Patricia Keeton, Peter Scheckner - American War Cinema and Media since Vietnam Politics, Ideology, and Class
Ronnie D. Lipschutz - After Authority: War, Peace, and Global Politics in the 21st Century
Sarah Gamble - The Routledge Companion to Feminism and PostFeminism
Estelle B. Freedman - Feminism, Sexuality, and Politics
Margaret Walters - Feminism. A Very Short Introduction
Michael Griffin - Media Images of War
Cees J. Hamelink - Media between Warmongers and Peacemakers
Rune Ottosen - Enemy Images and the Journalistic Process
Stuart J. Kaufman - Ethnic Conflict
Adam Jones - Genocide and Mass Killing
Scott Straus - Wars Do End: Changing Patterns of Political Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa
Erin Steuter and Deborah Wills - Dehumanizing the Enemy in post 9/11 Media Representations
John Lewis Gaddis - A Grand Strategy of Transformation
Johan Galtung - Cultural Violence
References: Ders Paketindeki Makaleler

Evaluation System

Semester Requirements Number of Activities Level of Contribution
Midterms 1 % 40
Final 1 % 60
Total % 100
PERCENTAGE OF SEMESTER WORK % 40
PERCENTAGE OF FINAL WORK % 60
Total % 100

ECTS / Workload Table

Activities Number of Activities Workload
Course Hours 13 39
Study Hours Out of Class 13 107
Midterms 1 2
Final 1 2
Total Workload 150

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) Adequate knowledge in mathematics, science and electric-electronic engineering subjects; ability to use theoretical and applied information in these areas to model and solve engineering problems.
2) Ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems; ability to select and apply proper analysis and modeling methods for this purpose.
3) Ability to design a complex system, process, device or product under realistic constraints and conditions, in such a way as to meet the desired result; ability to apply modern design methods for this purpose. (Realistic constraints and conditions may include factors such as economic and environmental issues, sustainability, manufacturability, ethics, health, safety issues, and social and political issues, according to the nature of the design.)
4) Ability to devise, select, and use modern techniques and tools needed for electrical-electronic engineering practice; ability to employ information technologies effectively.
5) Ability to design and conduct experiments, gather data, analyze and interpret results for investigating engineering problems.
6) Ability to work efficiently in intra-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary teams; ability to work individually.
7) Ability to communicate effectively in English and Turkish (if he/she is a Turkish citizen), both orally and in writing.
8) Recognition of the need for lifelong learning; ability to access information, to follow developments in science and technology, and to continue to educate him/herself.
9) Awareness of professional and ethical responsibility.
10) Information about business life practices such as project management, risk management, and change management; awareness of entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainable development.
11) Knowledge about contemporary issues and the global and societal effects of engineering practices on health, environment, and safety; awareness of the legal consequences of engineering solutions.