POL4992 Honors SeminarBahçeşehir UniversityDegree Programs SOCIOLOGYGeneral Information For StudentsDiploma SupplementErasmus Policy StatementNational QualificationsBologna Commission
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
POL4992 Honors Seminar 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. ESRA ALBAYRAKOĞLU
Course Lecturer(s): Prof. Dr. YILMAZ ESMER
Recommended Optional Program Components: None
Course Objectives: POL4992 course highlights the central issues in political culture literature. Some of the central themes that the course will cover are civic culture, democratic political culture, civic virtue and cultural change. It starts with major theoretical approaches in the political culture literature. The course aims to address the following questions: How the norms and values known as political culture created and how can we can study and measure the political culture? What is the relationship between economic development and democracy? How are political institutions and democracy interrelated?
The course also addresses the determinants of political participation. It discusses the main factors that can explain why the political attitudes and political support towards democracy varies between different cultural contexts. Different types of political communities will be examined. The course will make a comparative analysis of different regions of the world with respect to their elements of political culture.

Learning Outcomes

The students who have succeeded in this course;
The students who have succeeded in this course;
I. Understand major theories of Political Culture
II. Acquire the ability to understand the findings of Political Culture research
III. Attain competence to comprehend public opinion research
IV. Possess the ability to make in-depth readings of the major political science works
V. Compare different approaches to political culture literature
VI. Compare political attitudes towards democracy and political regimes in different regions of the world
VII. Possess the ability to formulate a research question on a relevant topic and to conduct a research study.

VIII. Preparation and presentation of a research paper

Course Content

1st Week: General Framework for the analysis of Democratic Political Culture I
2nd Week: General Framework for the analysis of Democratic Political Culture II
3rd Week: Civic Culture
4th Week: Political support
5th Week: Civic virtues
6th Week: Types of Political Communities I- Islamic Culture
7th Week: Types of Political Communities II-Islamic Culture vis-à-vis Western Cultures
8th Week: Midterm
9th Week: Development of Democratic Political Culture I – Modernization and Cultural Change
10th Week: Development of Democratic Political Culture II- Cultural Change and Political Institutions
11th Week: Political Culture Research – Public Opinion Polls: Regions I, Western Europe and North America
12th Week: Political Culture Research – Public Opinion Polls: Regions II, Latin America, Southern Europe
13th Week: Political Culture Research – Public Opinion Polls: Regions II, Post-communist societies, Post-USSR vs. Eastern Europe
14th Week: General overview of the semester

Weekly Detailed Course Contents

Week Subject Related Preparation
1) General Framework for the analysis of Democratic Political Culture
2) Civic Culture
3) Political support
4) Civic virtues
5) Types of Political Communities I- Islamic Culture
6) Types of Political Communities II-Islamic Culture vis-à-vis Western Cultures
7) Project Delivery
8) Development of Democratic Political Culture I – Modernization and Cultural Change
9) Development of Democratic Political Culture II- Cultural Change and Political Institutions
10) Political Culture Research – Public Opinion Polls. I. Region : Western Europe and North America
11) Political Culture Research – Public Opinion Polls: Regions II, Latin America, Southern Europe
12) Political Culture Research – Public Opinion Polls: Regions III, Post-communist societies, Post-USSR vs. Eastern Europe
13) Political culture in Turkey
14) General overview of the semester

Sources

Course Notes / Textbooks: Lane Crothers and Charles Lockhart (eds.). 2000. Culture and Politics. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
References: Weekly assigned readings / Haftalık okumalar

Evaluation System

Semester Requirements Number of Activities Level of Contribution
Attendance 13 % 10
Project 1 % 40
Final 1 % 50
Total % 100
PERCENTAGE OF SEMESTER WORK % 10
PERCENTAGE OF FINAL WORK % 90
Total % 100

ECTS / Workload Table

Activities Number of Activities Workload
Course Hours 13 39
Study Hours Out of Class 13 83
Project 13 26
Final 1 2
Total Workload 150

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.
2) To be able to identify the basic methodological approaches in building sociological and anthropological knowledge at local and global levels
3) To be able to use theoretical and applied knowledge acquired in the fields of statistics in social sciences.
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
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
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.
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.
8) To have knowledge of how sociology is positioned as a scientific discipline from a philosophical and historical perspective
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
10) To have the awareness of social issues and global societal processes and to apply sociological analysis to development and social responsibility projects
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.
12) To be able to transfer the knowledge gained in the areas of sociology to the level of secondary school.