MECHATRONICS 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
SOC2053 Sociology of Art and Culture 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: Hybrid
Course Coordinator : Prof. Dr. AYŞE NİLÜFER NARLI
Recommended Optional Program Components: Regular visits to art galleries and museums of Istanbul as an extra credit opportunity
Course Objectives:
The students will familiarize themselves with major approaches and theorists in the sociology of arts, acquire basic concepts in aesthetics and interpretive analysis, will examine their own understanding and attitudes to various forms of art, and develop further critical skills to orient themselves in the cultural processes of society. This course combines the sociology of art and culture inaugurated by the classics of Sociology, the Frankfurt School and refined by Pierre Bourdieu. It is a set on a disciplinary border that identify and analyze the social and economic background to the creation of works of art, including visual art, theatre, cinema, and literature. Students will acquire a broad, general knowledge of current debates within both sociology and anthropology at the same time as developing specialist knowledge of the key social, economic and cultural dynamics shaping a range of artistic creativity, digital culture and art pursuits and practices. We will discuss a wide range of social processes and dynamics as they relate to the production, distribution and consumption of ‘mass’, ‘popular’ and ‘high-brow’ cultural forms and artefacts and to think critically about the modes by which they are evaluated and understood. There will be due time to discuss street art and its history, location and creators in the various countries. Different topics are interwoven within the Course. Firstly, we will discuss major theoretical approaches in the sociology of art. Secondly, we will discuss the complex cultural processes linking the visual arts and society in Western modernity as well as in Turkey. In such an endeavor, we will adopt the assumption that artistic expressions are the result of those ongoing processes of ‘social construction’ that take place between artists, their audiences (art critics, curators, the media etc.), their economic and cultural environments as well as their historical and social contexts, different cultural contexts and the extent to which they themselves ‘shape’ artistic phenomena. Moreover, the course introduces students to the ways art and popular culture have been used and misused in nationalist, socialist and social movement discourses and practices in Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa. We will also learn semiotic analysis to explore the complex codes involved in artistic products.

Learning Outcomes

The students who have succeeded in this course;
At the end of the course, you will be able to:

(1) Understand sociological discourses about specific Western phenomena of artistic creativity and their uses and reception
(2) Understand various social and human development related functions of art
(3) Examine the relationship between art and culture
(4) Differentiate the social and political context and the participants in the creation and art production process
(5) Develop skills in critical sociological analysis of art objects in terms of indicators of class, age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and other
(6) Understand street art and new trends in street art
(7) Examine the impact of globalization on the art process
(8) Develop interpretive skills
(9) Develop critical and presentation / speaking skills through in-class assignments and field trips
(10) Develop a wide range of key transferrable skills that are highly valued by employers within a range of professions

Course Content

The course will explore the contemporary sociological studies of the arts with the focus on the following questions: “How is art identified in society?”, “What is the place of art in society?”, “What is the relationship between art and culture?”, “How is art produced, distributed, and consumed?”, “How are artistic tastes differentiated by economic class, status, and education?”, “Can art bring about a better society?” and other.

Weekly Detailed Course Contents

Week Subject Related Preparation
1) Ders Programı İncelemesi • Beklentiler Read the syllabus
2) Approaches to art and society Presentation Topic 1 Major theories in the sociology of arts: Paul, J. (2005). Art as Weltanschauung: An Overview of Theory in the Sociology of Art. Electronic Journal of Sociology, 1. Art Words and Art Worlds: Becker's art world framework HEYWOOD's book ch 1,2,3 ( Art's World and the Social World ; Towards a Critical Sociology of Art?; The Critical Theory of Art: Modernism and Violence ) Heywood, I. (1997). Social theories of art: a critique. Macmillan International Higher Education
3) De La Fuente, E. (2007). The New Sociology of Art': Putting Art Back into Social Science Approaches to the Arts. Cultural Sociology, 1(3), 409-425.
4) Kültürün Kurumsal Üretimi, Bourdieu Bourdieu, Pierre. 1993. "The Field of Cultural Deadline: Assignment 1 (impression report) Production." Pp. 29-73 in The Field of Cultural Production. N.Y.: Columbia Univ. Press. Pierre Bourdieu Distinction a Social Critique of the Judgment of Taste - introduction of the cultural dimension into sociological study of stratification and classes. • Theory of practice (habitus) x (capital) field practices. • Economic capital, social capital, cultural
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11) Studying art Alexander, V. (2003). Sociology of the arts: Exploring fine and popular forms. Oxford: Blackwell. Ch. 13 (pp. 251-277)
12) Art in society Alexander, V. (2003). Sociology of the arts: Exploring fine and popular forms. Oxford: Blackwell. Ch. 14, 15 (pp. 278-311)
13) Project - Field trip to an art event
14) Presentations Prepare oral presentation on sociological analysis of personal art preferences, according to guidelines

Sources

Course Notes / Textbooks: Heywood, I. (1997). Social theories of art: a critique. Macmillan International Higher Education. (find it in classromm materials)

Gombrich, E. H., & Gombrich, E. H. (1995). The story of art (Vol. 12). London: Phaidon.

Course notes are provided on Its-learning library

References: Other required readings will be uploaded to students via Itslearning. If you cannot access any material, please contact the instructor of the course.
Additional articles will be assigned in the course of the semester

Additional readings will be announced.

Evaluation System

Semester Requirements Number of Activities Level of Contribution
Attendance 14 % 10
Homework Assignments 2 % 20
Presentation 2 % 10
Midterms 1 % 20
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 4 56
Presentations / Seminar 1 10 10
Project 1 15 15
Midterms 1 2 2
Final 1 3 3
Total Workload 128

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) Build up a body of knowledge in mathematics, science and Mechatronics Engineering subjects; use theoretical and applied information in these areas to model and solve complex engineering problems.
2) Identify, formulate, and solve complex Mechatronics Engineering problems; select and apply proper modeling and analysis methods for this purpose.
3) Design complex Mechatronic systems, processes, devices or products under realistic constraints and conditions, in such a way as to meet the desired result; apply modern design methods for this purpose.
4) Devise, select, and use modern techniques and tools needed for solving complex problems in Mechatronics Engineering practice; employ information technologies effectively.
5) Design and conduct numerical or pysical experiments, collect data, analyze and interpret results for investigating the complex problems specific to Mechatronics Engineering.
6) Cooperate efficiently in intra-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary teams; and show self-reliance when working on Mechatronics-related problems.
7) Ability to communicate effectively in English and Turkish (if he/she is a Turkish citizen), both orally and in writing. Write and understand reports, prepare design and production reports, deliver effective presentations, give and receive clear and understandable instructions.
8) Recognize the need for life-long learning; show ability to access information, to follow developments in science and technology, and to continuously educate oneself.
9) Develop an awareness of professional and ethical responsibility, and behave accordingly. Be informed about the standards used in Mechatronics Engineering applications.
10) Learn about business life practices such as project management, risk management, and change management; develop an awareness of entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainable development.
11) Acquire knowledge about the effects of practices of Mechatronics Engineering on health, environment, security in universal and social scope, and the contemporary problems of Mechatronics engineering; is aware of the legal consequences of Mechatronics engineering solutions.