SOCIOLOGY
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
SOC4003	Religion in Society	Fall	3	0	3	6

Basic information

Language of instruction:	English
Type of course:	Must Course
Course Level:	Bachelor’s Degree (First Cycle)
Mode of Delivery:	Hybrid
Course Coordinator :	Assoc. Prof. PINAR MELİS YELSALI PARMAKSIZ
Course Lecturer(s):	Prof. Dr. İPEK ALTINBAŞAK FARİNA
Recommended Optional Program Components:	"."
Course Objectives:	Religion, contrary to conventional understanding of modernization as secularization plays an important role in the modern world. One of the major issues in sociology is secularization that seemingly is the reason behind somewhat marginalized position of the religion in sociology as a subject of study. Yet it would be mistaken to think of modern society without taking the notion of sacred and sacredness into consideration. Additionally, the religious revival makes it inevitable to deal with the place of religion in modern society. This course aims to provide the students basic tenets of sociological thinking on religion and to assist them understanding the place and position of religion in contemporary society.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Recognise main sociological approaches to religion.
2. Defines secularization and secularism.
3. Understands a variety of religious practice in modern society
4. Explains the rise of fundamentalisms.
5. Gets familiar with the debates about Post-secularism

Course Content

The course is structured as three sections. First, classical and contemporary sociological perspectives in religious studies will be focused on and these perspectives will be compared. Secondly, the concepts and understandings required to understand the social structuring of religion in Turkey will be mentioned. Finally, thematic and current debates in the field of sociology of religion such as Civil Religion, Spiritualism, New Religious movements, Fundamentalism, Post-secularism will be conveyed.

Weekly Detailed Course Contents

Week	Subject	Related Preparation
1)	Introduction and course outline
2)	I. INTRODUCTION TO THE SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION The Sociological Perspective	Reading of course materials and discussion board application
3)	Classical Theories of Sociology of Religion: Emile Durkheim	Reading of course materials
4)	Classical Theories of Sociology of Religion: Max Weber	Reading of course materials
5)	Classical Theories of Sociology of Religion: Karl Marx	Reading of course materials
6)	Classical Theories of Sociology of Religion: Clifford Geertz	Reading of course materials and field trip
7)	Secularization and Post Secularization	Reading of course materials and submission of short commentary essay
8)	Religion and Secularization in Turkey	Reading of course materials and submission of short commentary essay
9)	Civil and Political Religion	Reading of course materials and discussion board application
10)	Spirituality, Spritualisms and Commodification in Religion	Readings of course materials
11)	Fundementalisms	Reading of course materials
12)	Final Essay presentations	Presentations
13)	Final Essay presentations	Presentations
14)	Final Essay presentations	Presentations

Sources

Course Notes / Textbooks:

Weekly reading assignments will be provided on Itslearning.

Additional audio-visual sources will be provided thoroughly.

• Aldridge, A. (2000). Religion in the contemporary world. Polity.
• Berkes, N. (1964). The development of secularism in Turkey. McGill-Queen's Press-MQUP.
• Durkheim, Emile. The elementary forms of religious life. New York: Free Press, 1995.
• Hanson, S. (1997). The secularisation thesis: talking at cross purposes. Journal of Contemporary Religion, 12(2), 159-179.
• Hinnells, J. R. (Ed.). (2005). The Routledge companion to the study of religion. Psychology Press.
• Karl Marx, “Theses on Feuerbach,” “Contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right: Introduction.” “The German Ideology: Part I” in Robert Tucker (ed.). 1978. The Marx-Engels Reader. Norton.
• Marx, Karl. 1978. “The German Ideology: Part I
• Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, “On the Jewish Question,” “Contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right,” “Theses on Feuerbach,” “The German Ideology,” in Robert Tucker (ed.) The Marx-Engels Reader, New York: WW Norton, 1978
• Geertz, the interpretation of cultures, 5019. Basic books, 1973, (“Religion as a Cultural System,” pp. 87-125)
• Asad, Talal Antropological conceptions of religion reflections on Geertz.” Man (1983): 237-259
• Max, Weber. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Routledge, 1930, (pp. vii-xxxiii, Weber’s “Introduction to the Sociology of Religion” and Chapters 1-2)
• Max Weber, “Religion” in H.H. Gerth and C. Wright Mills (ed.) From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology, New York: Oxford University Press, 1958, pp.
• Segal, R. A. (Ed.). (2009). The Blackwell companion to the study of religion (Vol. 21). John Wiley & Sons.

References:

Haftalık okumalar Itslearning'e yüklenecektir.
Dönem içinde ek görsel kaynaklar verilecektir.

• Aldridge, A. (2000). Religion in the contemporary world. Polity.
• Berkes, N. (1964). The development of secularism in Turkey. McGill-Queen's Press-MQUP.
• Durkheim, Emile. The elementary forms of religious life. New York: Free Press, 1995.
• Hanson, S. (1997). The secularisation thesis: talking at cross purposes. Journal of Contemporary Religion, 12(2), 159-179.
• Hinnells, J. R. (Ed.). (2005). The Routledge companion to the study of religion. Psychology Press.
• Karl Marx, “Theses on Feuerbach,” “Contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right: Introduction.” “The German Ideology: Part I” in Robert Tucker (ed.). 1978. The Marx-Engels Reader. Norton.
• Marx, Karl. 1978. “The German Ideology: Part I
• Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, “On the Jewish Question,” “Contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right,” “Theses on Feuerbach,” “The German Ideology,” in Robert Tucker (ed.) The Marx-Engels Reader, New York: WW Norton, 1978
• Geertz, the interpretation of cultures, 5019. Basic books, 1973, (“Religion as a Cultural System,” pp. 87-125)
• Asad, Talal Antropological conceptions of religion reflections on Geertz.” Man (1983): 237-259
• Max, Weber. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Routledge, 1930, (pp. vii-xxxiii, Weber’s “Introduction to the Sociology of Religion” and Chapters 1-2)
• Max Weber, “Religion” in H.H. Gerth and C. Wright Mills (ed.) From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology, New York: Oxford University Press, 1958, pp.
• Segal, R. A. (Ed.). (2009). The Blackwell companion to the study of religion (Vol. 21). John Wiley & Sons.

Evaluation System

Semester Requirements	Number of Activities	Level of Contribution
Application	2	% 30
Homework Assignments	2	% 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	3	42
Presentations / Seminar	1	10	10
Project	1	25	25
Homework Assignments	1	15	15
Midterms	1	2	2
Final	1	2	2
Total Workload			138

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 learn and compare major sociology perspectives, both classical and contemporary, and apply all of them to analysis of social conditions.	4
2)	To be able to identify the basic methodological approaches in building sociological and anthropological knowledge at local and global levels	4
3)	To be able to use theoretical and applied knowledge acquired in the fields of statistics in social sciences.	2
4)	To have a basic knowledge of other disciplines (including psychology, history, political science, communication studies and literature) that can contribute to sociology and to be able to make use of this knowledge in analyzing sociological processes	3
5)	To have a knowledge and practice of scientific and ethical principles in collecting, interpreting and publishing sociological data also develop ability how to share this data with experts and lay people, using effective communication skills	3
6)	To develop competence in analyzing and publishing sociological knowledge by using computer software for quantitative and qualitative analysis; and develop an attitute for learning new techniques in these fields.	4
7)	To identify and to have a knowledge of the theories related to urban and rural sociology and demography, and political sociology, sociology of gender, sociology of body, visual sociology, sociology of work, sociology of religion, sociology of knowledge and sociology of crime.	4
8)	To have knowledge of how sociology is positioned as a scientific discipline from a philosophical and historical perspective	2
9)	To have the awareness of social issues in Turkish society, to develop critical perspective in analysing these issues and to have a knowledge of the works of Turkish sociologists and to be able to transfer this knowledge	2
10)	To have the awareness of social issues and global societal processes and to apply sociological analysis to development and social responsibility projects	3
11)	To have the ability to define a research question, design a research project and complete a written report for various fields of sociology, either as an individual or as a team member.	5
12)	To be able to transfer the knowledge gained in the areas of sociology to the level of secondary school.	1