PUBLIC RELATIONS AND PUBLICITY
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	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. 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 prepare the students to become communication professionals by focusing on strategic thinking, professional writing, ethical practice and innovative use of traditional and new media
2)	To be able to create effective public relations plans using fundamental planning components that include situation analysis, public profile, objectives, strategies and tactics.
3)	To be able to apply theoretical concepts related to mass communication, consumer behavior, psychology, persuasion,sociology, marketing, and other related fields to understand how public realtions works.
4)	To be able to have the ability to explain and identify problems associated with the relationships between events and facts in the areas of public relations, persuasive communication, communication management, corporate communications.
5)	To be able to analyze primary and secondary research data in the fields of perception and reputation management and corporate communication practices.
6)	To be able to search, write, and design articles, newsletters, and fliers, brochures, and announcements, in styles and formats appropraite various audiences, mediums and settings.
7)	To be able to apply the underlying theories of communication and the necessities of work safety to different types of public relations processes and campaigns.
8)	To be able to develop creative and persuasive management skills in terms of reputation, employee relations, leadership and similar corporate practices.
9)	To be able to take responsibility in an individual capacity or as a team in generating solutions to given scenarios which can occur in public relations processes.
10)	To be able to understand how an organizational culture works and how employees and leaders create messages as a communication tool.
11)	To be able to critically discuss and interpret theories, concepts, methods, tools and ideas in the field of public relations.
12)	To be able to to use information, communication technologies and computer software with the required level of public relations, marketing communication, persuasive communication, communication management, corporate communications.
13)	To be able to explain and describe business marketing activities, economics, business law and global business practices.
14)	To be able to recognize national and international, social and cultural dimensions of public relations.