POLITICAL SCIENCE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS | |||||
Bachelor | TR-NQF-HE: Level 6 | QF-EHEA: First Cycle | EQF-LLL: Level 6 |
Course Code | Course Name | Semester | Theoretical | Practical | Credit | ECTS |
POL2353 | Introduction to Politics and Society | Fall | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
Language of instruction: | English |
Type of course: | Must Course |
Course Level: | Bachelor’s Degree (First Cycle) |
Mode of Delivery: | Face to face |
Course Coordinator : | Assoc. Prof. ESRA ALBAYRAKOĞLU |
Course Lecturer(s): |
Assoc. Prof. ZEYNEP HANDE PAKER UNCU |
Recommended Optional Program Components: | None |
Course Objectives: | Sociology is about the study of society as any introductory textbook will tell you and as such, it deals with people. Sociology is concerned with how people are socialized, how they live (in families, cities, states, etc.), how they interact, how they associate, how they mobilize, how they are governed and how they are divided. This course introduces sociological concepts and issues such as socialization, social control, modernity, social change, stratification, and gender. It also introduces important thinkers who have thought about these issues. A difficult question we will engage with concerns the dichotomy of agency vs. structure. Do we make history or do larger processes shape us? |
The students who have succeeded in this course; The students who have succeeded in this course can 1. Identify various mechanisms that shape contemporary societies 2. Understand main cleavages and sources of inequalities in society 3. Interpret the historical development of modern societies 4. Engage with fundamental debates in social sciences, e.g. agency and structure 5. Grasp the basic foundations of sociological thought 6. Develop competencies with respect to comparative inquiry and critical thinking |
This course introduces sociological concepts and issues such as socialization, social control, modernity and social change, global city, gender, state and social movements. It also introduces important thinkers who have thought about these issues. A difficult question we will engage with concerns the dichotomy of agency vs. structure. Do we make history or do larger processes shape us? |
Week | Subject | Related Preparation |
1) | Introduction | |
2) | Sociological thinking | Giddens, A., 2001, ‘Chapter 2: Culture and Society’, Sociology, 4th edition, Polity: 22-30. |
3) | Sociological imagination | Mills, C. W., 2001 (1959), “The Sociological Imagination and the Promise of Sociology” in A. Giddens (ed.), Sociology, Introductory Readings. |
4) | Embedded in society: socialization and social interaction | Martin, K. A. 1998, “Becoming a Gendered Body: Practices of Preschools”, American Sociological Review, 63, 4: pp. 494-511. Goffman, E. 2001, “The Structure of Face Engagements” in A. Giddens (ed.), Sociology, Introductory Readings, pp. 55-59. |
5) | Inequalities and identities: gender roles | Carroll, Susan J. 2009. “Reflections on Gender and Hillary Clinton’s Presidential Campaign: The Good, the Bad, and the Misogynic.” Politics & Gender 5 (1): 1-20. Hochschild, A. “The Second Shift: Employed Women are Putting in another Day of Work at Home”, pp. 443-447. Sassen, S. 2002, “Global Cities and Survival Circuits” in B. Ehrenreich and A. R. Hochschild (eds.), Global Woman, pp. 254-274. |
6) | Modern Society, Social change and Historical Context: an overview | Fulcher, J. and J. Scott (eds.), 2003, “Work, employment and leisure, section on Industrial Capitalism” in Sociology, pp. 591-2. Macionis, J. and K. Plummer, 2005, ‘Chapter 4: Societies’, Sociology, a Global Introduction, Prentice Hall: 73-81; 96-101. |
7) | Foundations of Sociological Thought I | Fulcher, J. and J. Scott (eds.), 2003, “Theories and Theorizing, section on Durkheim” in Sociology, pp. 33-39. Macionis, J. and K. Plummer, 2005, ‘Chapter 4: Societies’, Sociology, a Global Introduction, Prentice Hall: 92-95. |
8) | Foundations of Sociological Thought II | Macionis, J. and K. Plummer, 2005, ‘Chapter 4: Societies’, Sociology, a Global Introduction, Prentice Hall: 82-88. |
9) | Foundations of Sociological Thought III | Macionis, J. and K. Plummer, 2005, ‘Chapter 4: Societies’, Sociology, a Global Introduction, Prentice Hall: 89-91. |
10) | Changing modernity and globalization | Beck, U.2001, “Risk Society: Towards a new Modernity”, in A. Giddens (ed.), Sociology, Introductory Readings, pp. 398-401. |
11) | Politics and the state | *Tilly, C. 1985. “War Making and State Making as Organized Crime”, in P. Evans, D. Rueschemeyer and T. Skocpol (eds), Bringing the State Back In, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press: p. 169-191. Held, D. ‘The Development of the Modern State’ in S. Hall and B. Gieben (eds.), Formations of Modernity: pp.72-104 |
12) | Politics and the state II | Heywood, A. ‘Chapter 3: Politics and the state’ in Politics, Palgrave s: p. 56-79. |
13) | Making change- collective behavior | Della Porta, D. and M. Diani. 2006. “The Study of Social Movements: Recurring Questions, (Partially) Changing Answers”, in D. Della Porta and M. Diani (eds.), Social Movements, An Introduction, Blackwell Publishing: 1-29. |
14) | Making change- collective behavior II & Review and wrap up | Tarrow, S. 1998, “Contentious Politics and Social Movements”, Chapter 1 in Power in Movement, pp. 10-25, Cambridge University Press. Visual material: Bergama, https://www.cultureunplugged.com/documentary/watch-online/festival/play/4451/Alethea |
Course Notes / Textbooks: | Weekly readings will be uploaded on Teams at the beginning of the semester. Please note that all book chapters and articles listed on the syllabus are also accessible through the BAU Library. The PPT files will be shared on Teams following each class. ----- Haftalık ders okumalarının tamamı, dönem başında ItsLearning’e yüklenir. Ders izlencesinde yer alan tüm kitap bölümleri ve makalelere BAU Kütüphanesi’nden de erişilebilir. PowerPoint dosyaları, hafta bazında ve işlenen ders sonrasında ItsLearning’e yüklenir. |
References: | Articles in Course Package |
Semester Requirements | Number of Activities | Level of Contribution |
Attendance | 14 | % 20 |
Homework Assignments | 3 | % 40 |
Final | 1 | % 40 |
Total | % 100 | |
PERCENTAGE OF SEMESTER WORK | % 60 | |
PERCENTAGE OF FINAL WORK | % 40 | |
Total | % 100 |
Activities | Number of Activities | Workload |
Course Hours | 14 | 42 |
Study Hours Out of Class | 14 | 105 |
Final | 1 | 1.5 |
Total Workload | 148.5 |
No Effect | 1 Lowest | 2 Low | 3 Average | 4 High | 5 Highest |
Program Outcomes | Level of Contribution | |
1) | Grasp basic theoretical and conceptual knowledge about the field and relations between them at the level of practice. | 5 |
2) | Possess basic knowledge about the causes and effects of political transformations in societies. | 5 |
3) | Possess knowledge about quantitative, qualitative and mixed research methods in social and behavioral sciences. | |
4) | Recognize historical patterns while evaluating contemporary political and social developments. | 5 |
5) | Demonstrate interdisciplinary and critical approach while analyzing, synthesizing and forecasting domestic and foreign policy. | 5 |
6) | Conduct studies in the field professionally, both independently or as a team member. | 3 |
7) | Possess consciousness about lifelong learning based on Research & Development. | 3 |
8) | Communicate with peers both orally and in writing, by using a foreign language at least at a level of European Language Portfolio B1 General Level and the necessary informatics and communication technologies. | 5 |
9) | Apply field-related knowledge and competences into career advancement, projects for sustainable development goals, and social responsibility initiatives. | 3 |
10) | Possess the habit to monitor domestic and foreign policy agenda as well as international developments. | 5 |
11) | Possess competence to interpret the new political actors, theories and concepts in a global era. | 5 |
12) | Evaluate the legal and ethical implications of advanced technologies on politics. | 3 |