SOC4007 Contemporary Sociological TheoriesBahçeşehir UniversityDegree Programs PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEOGeneral Information For StudentsDiploma SupplementErasmus Policy StatementNational QualificationsBologna Commission
PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO
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
SOC4007 Contemporary Sociological Theories Spring
Fall
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 : Assoc. Prof. ULAŞ SUNATA ÖZDEMİR
Course Lecturer(s): Dr. Öğr. Üyesi KAYA AKYILDIZ
Assoc. Prof. ULAŞ SUNATA ÖZDEMİR
Dr. Öğr. Üyesi AYŞEGÜL AKDEMİR
Prof. Dr. AYŞE NİLÜFER NARLI
Prof. Dr. İPEK ALTINBAŞAK FARİNA
Recommended Optional Program Components: "."
Course Objectives: The course is designed to make students familiar with recent theories, issues, and debates in the field of contemporary social and critical theory. It presents a critical review of contemporary sociological theoretical positions by way of examining major themes.

Learning Outcomes

The students who have succeeded in this course;
1) Recall Freud, Nietzche, and Marx
2) Recognize difference of postmodern social theory from classical sociological theory
3) Discuss semiotics and structuralism
4) Discuss Frankfurt School in the context of the authoritarian ideology and family
5) Discuss psychoanalysis and Lacan
6) Discuss the postmodern condition
7) Discuss deconstruction by Derrida
8) Discuss anti-oedipus by Deleuze and Guattari
9) Discuss panopticism, discipline surveillance, discourse, body and population by Foucault
10) Discuss post-feminist theory and critical theory
11) Discuss orientalism and post-colonial theory
12) Discuss globalization and post-nationalist theory

Course Content

Special attention will be paid to some fundamental readings in the so-called “postmodern theories” concerning modernity, semiotics, unconsciousness, feminism, re-reading Nietzsche and Marx, deconstruction, orientalism, and postcolonialism.

Weekly Detailed Course Contents

Week Subject Related Preparation
1) Introduction to the Course: Going over the Syllabus
2) Classical Sociological Theory D. P. Johnson (2008) “Classical Stage European Sources of Sociological Theory”, ch 1, in D. P. Johnson Contemporary Sociological Theory: An Integrated Multi-level Approach New York: Springer. (23-51)
3) An Introduction to Postmodern Social Theory G. Ritzer (1997) “Postmodern Social Theory, Sociology and Sociological Theory”, ch 1, in G. Ritzer Postmodern Social Theory Toronto: McGraw-Hill. (1-17) G. Ritzer (1997) “The Development of Postmodern Sociology”, ch 2, in G. Ritzer Postmodern Social Theory Toronto: McGraw-Hill. (18-36)
4) Ferdinand Saussure: Semiotics and Structuralism Ferdinand Saussure, Selection from Course in General Linguistics (8-17, 65-9, 110-9) John E. Joseph “The Linguistic Sign”, Cambridge Companions Online, Cambridge University Press. (59-75)
5) Frankfurt School Erich Fromm “The Method and Function of an Analytic Social Psychology”, in A. Arato and E. Gebhardt, eds., The Essential Frankfurt School Reader. (477-96) Wilhelm Reich “The Authoritarian Ideology and the Family in the Mass Psychology of Fascism”, The Mass Psychology of Fascism. (34-74) Max Horkheimer “Authoritarianism and the Family”, in R. N. Anshen, ed., The Family: Its Function and Destiny (359-74)
6) Psychoanalysis and Jaques Lacan Kaja Silverman “The Subject”, The Subject of Semiotics. (127-193)
7) The Postmodern Condition Thedor W. Adorno (1968) “Late Capitalism or Industrial Society?” (1-11) Fredric Jameson (1991) “Postmodernism or, The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism” in F. Jameson Postmodernism or, The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism Verso. (1-14) Jean-Francois Lyotard (1979) “The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge” in J.F. Lyotard The Postmodern Condition: A report on Knowledge, Manchester: Manchester University Press. (1-14) Bary Smart “The Postmodern Paradox”, Modern Conditions and Postmodern Controversies. (141-82)
8) Jacques Derrida and Deconstruction Elizabeth Gross “Derrida and the Limits of Philosophy” (26-42) Jonathan Culler “Deconstruction”, On Deconstruction: Theory and Criticism After Structuralism. (85-110, 165-91)
9) Michel Foucault: Panopticism, Discipline, Surveillance, Discourse, Body, Population (1) G. Ritzer (1997) “Michel Foucault Part1: Archaeology of Knowledge, Genealogy of Power” in G. Ritzer Postmodern Social Theory Toronto: McGraw-Hill. (37-62)
10) Michel Foucault: Panopticism, Discipline, Surveillance, Discourse, Body, Population (2) G. Ritzer (1997) “Michel Foucault Part2: Sexuality, Power, and Self” in G. Ritzer Postmodern Social Theory Toronto: McGraw-Hill. (63-75)
11) Feminist Theory Elizabeth Gross (1986) “What is Feminist Theory?”, in C. Pateman and E. Gross, eds., Feminist Challenges: Social and Political Theory Boston: Northeastern University Press. (190-204) “Feminist Theory”, in James Farganis, ed., Readings in Social Theory: The Classic Tradition to Post-Modernism (Dorothy Smith: Women’s Experience as a Radical Critique of Sociology). (376-87) Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak “Feminism and Critical Theory” In Other Worlds: Essays in Cultural Politics. (77-92)
12) Orientalism and Post-Colonial Theory (1) Leela Gandhi “Edward Said and his Critics” Postcolonial Theory: A Critical Introduction. (64-80)
13) Orientalism and Post-Colonial Theory (2) Leela Gandhi “Postcolonalism and Feminism” Postcolonial Theory: A Critical Introduction. (81-101)
14) Globalization and Post-Nationalism Leela Gandhi “Imagining Community: The Question of Nationalism” Postcolonial Theory: A Critical Introduction. (102-21) Leela Gandhi “One World: The Vision of Postnationalism” Postcolonial Theory: A Critical Introduction. (122-40)

Sources

Course Notes / Textbooks: Course reader will be given weekly
References: D. P. Johnson (2008) “Classical Stage European Sources of Sociological Theory”, ch 1, in D. P. Johnson Contemporary Sociological Theory: An Integrated Multi-level Approach New York: Springer. (23-51)
G. Ritzer (1997) “Postmodern Social Theory, Sociology and Sociological Theory”, ch 1, in G. Ritzer Postmodern Social Theory Toronto: McGraw-Hill. (1-17)
G. Ritzer (1997) “The Development of Postmodern Sociology”, ch 2, in G. Ritzer Postmodern Social Theory Toronto: McGraw-Hill. (18-36)
Ferdinand Saussure, Selection from Course in General Linguistics (8-17, 65-9, 110-9)
John E. Joseph “The Linguistic Sign”, Cambridge Companions Online, Cambridge University Press. (59-75)
Erich Fromm “The Method and Function of an Analytic Social Psychology”, in A. Arato and E. Gebhardt, eds., The Essential Frankfurt School Reader. (477-96)
Wilhelm Reich “The Authoritarian Ideology and the Family in the Mass Psychology of Fascism”, The Mass Psychology of Fascism. (34-74)
Max Horkheimer “Authoritarianism and the Family”, in R. N. Anshen, ed., The Family: Its Function and Destiny (359-74)
Kaja Silverman “The Subject”, The Subject of Semiotics. (127-193)
Thedor W. Adorno (1968) “Late Capitalism or Industrial Society?” (1-11)
Fredric Jameson (1991) “Postmodernism or, The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism” in F. Jameson Postmodernism or, The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism Verso. (1-14)
Jean-Francois Lyotard (1979) “The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge” in J.F. Lyotard The Postmodern Condition: A report on Knowledge, Manchester: Manchester University Press. (1-14)
Bary Smart “The Postmodern Paradox”, Modern Conditions and Postmodern Controversies. (141-82)
Elizabeth Gross “Derrida and the Limits of Philosophy” (26-42)
Jonathan Culler “Deconstruction”, On Deconstruction: Theory and Criticism After Structuralism. (85-110, 165-91)
Ronald Bogue “Anti-Oedipus: Nietzschean Desiring Production and the History of Representation”, Deleuze and Guattari. (83-106)
Ronald Bogue “The Grand Proliferation: Regimes of Signs and Abstract Machines in Thousand Plateaus”, Deleuze and Guattari. (124-49)
G. Ritzer (1997) “Michel Foucault Part1: Archaeology of Knowledge, Genealogy of Power” in G. Ritzer Postmodern Social Theory Toronto: McGraw-Hill. (37-62)
G. Ritzer (1997) “Michel Foucault Part2: Sexuality, Power, and Self” in G. Ritzer Postmodern Social Theory Toronto: McGraw-Hill. (63-75)
Elizabeth Gross (1986) “What is Feminist Theory?”, in C. Pateman and E. Gross, eds., Feminist Challenges: Social and Political Theory Boston: Northeastern University Press. (190-204)
“Feminist Theory”, in James Farganis, ed., Readings in Social Theory: The Classic Tradition to Post-Modernism (Dorothy Smith: Women’s Experience as a Radical Critique of Sociology). (376-87)
Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak “Feminism and Critical Theory” In Other Worlds: Essays in Cultural Politics. (77-92)
Leela Gandhi “Edward Said and his Critics” Postcolonial Theory: A Critical Introduction. (64-80)
Leela Gandhi “Postcolonalism and Feminism” Postcolonial Theory: A Critical Introduction. (81-101)
Leela Gandhi “Imagining Community: The Question of Nationalism” Postcolonial Theory: A Critical Introduction. (102-21)
Leela Gandhi “One World: The Vision of Postnationalism” Postcolonial Theory: A Critical Introduction. (122-40)
Badiou. Ethics.
Ronald Bogue “Deleuze’s Nietzsche: Thought, will to power, and the eternal return”, Deleuze and Guattari. (15-34)
Friedrich Nietzsche: The Will to Power. (104-7)

Evaluation System

Semester Requirements Number of Activities Level of Contribution
Attendance 14 % 15
Homework Assignments 10 % 30
Presentation 1 % 15
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 2 28
Presentations / Seminar 1 12 12
Homework Assignments 10 3 30
Paper Submission 1 40 40
Total Workload 152

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) Knowledge of photographic and video media and ability to use basic, intermediate and advanced techniques of these media.
2) Ability to understand, analyze and evaluate theories, concepts and uses of photography and video.
3) Ability to employ theoretical knowledge in the areas of the use of photography and video.
4) Familiarity with and ability to review the historical literature in theoretical and practical studies in photography and video.
5) Ability in problem solving in relation to projects in photography and video.
6) Ability to generate innovative responses to particular and novel requirements in photography and video.
7) Understanding and appreciation of the roles and potentials of the image across visual culture
8) Ability to communicate distinctively by means of photographic and video images.
9) Experience of image post-production processes and ability to develop creative outcomes through this knowledge.
10) Knowledge of and ability to participate in the processes of production, distribution and use of photography and video in the media.
11) Ability to understand, analyze and evaluate global, regional and local problematics in visual culture.
12) Knowledge of and ability to make a significant contribution to the goals of public communication.
13) Enhancing creativity via interdisciplinary methods to develop skills for realizing projects.
14) Gaining general knowledge about the points of intersection of communication, art and technology.