POL3482 State and SocietyBahçeşehir UniversityDegree Programs PSYCHOLOGYGeneral Information For StudentsDiploma SupplementErasmus Policy StatementNational QualificationsBologna Commission
PSYCHOLOGY
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
POL3482 State and Society 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 : Assoc. Prof. ESRA ALBAYRAKOĞLU
Course Lecturer(s): Assoc. Prof. ZEYNEP HANDE PAKER UNCU
Recommended Optional Program Components: None
Course Objectives: We will cover concepts such as power, representation, association, social capital, citizenship, collective action and issues such as state development, nationalism, democratization, social movements, and globalizing networks. The course is designed in three parts. The first part, ‘Power and the political sphere’ looks at the nature of power and power relations from above. State as a political structure with a unique source of power is examined at length while capitalist structures are discussed in relation to political questions such as democratization. The second part, ‘Empowerment in the social sphere’ analyzes power from below and as such, introduces collective practices of civil society, citizenship, and social movements. Finally, in the third part “Transformations in the political and social spheres’, the concepts of state, society and power are evaluated by building on our knowledge acquired during the course and situating it in the dynamics of a somewhat global, anthropocentric, post-pandemic world.

Learning Outcomes

The students who have succeeded in this course;
Bu dersi başarıyla tamamlayabilen öğrenciler;

1. Farklı devlet teorilerini tanımlar;
2. Devleti topluma gömülü bir kurum olarak kavrar;
3. Devletler ve toplumlar arasındaki güç mücadelelerini yorumlar;
4. Milliyetçilik, demokratikleşme, temsil ve vatandaşlık gibi sosyal bilimlerin temel kavramlarını kullanır;
5. Sivil toplum ve vatandaşlık üzerine temel literatürü kavrar;
6. Aktif sorgulama ve eleştirel düşünceye yönelik beceriler geliştirir.

Course Content

This is a course in political sociology. Political sociology is concerned with, above all, power relations in the social, political, and economic spheres. The course is designed in three parts. The first part, ‘Power and the political sphere’ looks at the nature of power and power relations from above. The second part, ‘Empowerment in the social sphere’ analyzes power from below and as such, introduces collective practices of civil society, citizenship, and social movements. Finally, in the third part “Transformations in the political and social spheres’, the concepts of state, society and power are evaluated by building on our knowledge acquired during the course and situating it in the dynamics of a somewhat global, anthropocentric, post-pandemic world. Equally crucial to this course is the understanding of interactions between the society and polity.

Weekly Detailed Course Contents

Week Subject Related Preparation
1) Introduction
2) Approaches to power and the political
3) Development of the state *Huber et al. 2015. “Introduction: Transformations of the state”, in S. Liebfried, E. Huber, M. Lange, J. D. Levy, F. Nullmeier (eds), The Oxford handbook of Transformations of the State, Oxford University Press: p. 1-22. Mann, M. 1993. The Sources of Social Power, Vol. 2. Cambridge University Press: p. 444-478
4) Theories of the state-I : class and contestation *Dahl, R. 1971. Polyarchy. Yale University Press: p. 1-32.
5) Theories of the state- II : state as autonomous actor *Skocpol, T. 1985. “Bringing the State Back In: Strategies of Analysis in Current Research,” in P. Evans, D. Rueschemeyer and T. Skocpol, ed.s, Bringing the State Back In, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: p. 3-37. Wang, X. 1999. “Mutual Empowerment of State and Society. Its Nature, Conditions, Mechanisms, and Limits”, Comparative Politics, 31: 231-249.
6) Theories of the state III: can the state be green? *Eckersley, R. (2006). From the liberal to the green democratic state: upholding autonomy and sustainability. International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development, 1(4), 266-283.
7) Nations and national integration- I *Gellner, E. 1983. Nations and Nationalism. New York: Cornell University Press: p. 1-7, 19-38, 53-62.
8) Nations and national integration- II *Guibernau, M. 2004. ‘Anthony D. Smith on nations and national identity: a critical assessment’, Nations and Nationalism, 10: 125-141.
9) Capitalism and Democracy *Moore, B. 1966. Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy. Beacon Press: p. 3-39. *Della Porta, D., 2013, ‘Ch. 4: Deliberative Democracy: Between Representation and Participation’, in Can Democracy Be Saved?, Polity Press: 60-84. Lipset. 1994. “Social Requisites of Democracy”, American Sociological Review 59: -22. Sunar, İ. and Sayarı, S. 1987. “Democracy in Turkey: Problems and Prospects”, in G. O’Donnell et al., Transitions from Authoritarian Rule: Comparative Perspectives. John Hopkins University Press.: p. 65-95.
10) Civil Society and the state *Hall, J. A. 1995. “In Search of Civil Society,” in J. A. Hall, ed., Civil Society: Theory, History, Comparison, Cambridge, Polity Press: 1-31. *Paker, H., & Keyman, E. F. 2020. State, Civil Society, and Syrians in Turkey. In Fostering Pluralism through Solidarity Activism in Europe (pp. 107-132). Palgrave Macmillan. Migdal, J. S., A. Kohli and V. Shue. 1994. State Power and Social Forces. Cambridge University Press: 7-36.
11) Citizenship *Dobson, Andrew. 2003. Chapter 3: Three Types of Citizenship’ in Citizenship and the Environment, Oxford University Press: p. 33-41, 51-61. *Baban, F., & Rygiel, K. 2017. ‘Living with others: fostering radical cosmopolitanism through citizenship politics in Berlin.’ Ethics & Global Politics, 10(1), 98-116. Keyman, E. F. 2005. “Articulating citizenship and identity: The Kurdish Question in Turkey” in E. F. Keymanand A. İçduygu (eds.), Citizenship in a Global World: European Questions and Turkish Experiences, London and New york, Routledge:267-288.
12) Collective action *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. *Smith, J. 2007, “Transnational Processes and Movements”, in D. A. Snow, S. A. Soule, and H.Kriesi (eds.), The Blackwell Companion to Social Movements, Blackwell: 311-335.
13) State, society and power in a globalizing world *Sklair, Leslie 2002. Globalization: capitalism and its alternatives. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing: 84-115.
14) Review/general assessment of the course

Sources

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.

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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:

Evaluation System

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

ECTS / Workload Table

Activities Number of Activities Workload
Course Hours 14 42
Study Hours Out of Class 14 84
Final 1 1.5
Total Workload 127.5

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 develop an interest in the human mind and behavior, to be able to evaluate theories using empirical findings, to understand that psychology is an evidence-based science by acquiring critical thinking skills.
2) To gain a biopsychosocial perspective on human behavior. To understand the biological, psychological, and social variables of behavior.
3) To learn the basic concepts in psychology and the theoretical and practical approaches used to study them (e.g. basic observation and interview techniques).
4) To acquire the methods and skills to access and write information using English as the dominant language in the psychological literature, to recognize and apply scientific research and data evaluation techniques (e.g. correlational, experimental, cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, case studies).
5) To be against discrimination and prejudice; to have ethical concerns while working in research and practice areas.
6) To recognize the main subfields of psychology (experimental, developmental, clinical, cognitive, social and industrial/organizational psychology) and their related fields of study and specialization.
7) To acquire the skills necessary for analyzing, interpreting and presenting the findings as well as problem posing, hypothesizing and data collection, which are the basic elements of scientific studies.
8) To gain the basic knowledge and skills necessary for psychological assessment and evaluation.
9) To acquire basic knowledge of other disciplines (medicine, genetics, biology, economics, sociology, political science, communication, philosophy, anthropology, literature, law, art, etc.) that will contribute to psychology and to use this knowledge in the understanding and interpretation of psychological processes.
10) To develop sensitivity towards social problems; to take responsibility in activities that benefit the field of psychology and society.
11) To have problem solving skills and to be able to develop the necessary analytical approaches for this.
12) To be able to criticize any subject in business and academic life and to be able to express their thoughts.