DIGITAL GAME DESIGN
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
POL4144	Politics of Gender	Spring	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 :
Course Lecturer(s):	Assoc. Prof. ZEYNEP HANDE PAKER UNCU
Recommended Optional Program Components:	None
Course Objectives:	This course aims to analyze and critically assess various forms of exclusion, discrimination and obstacles to women’s participation in the political sphere. We will discuss how and why politics is gendered as well as the efforts in making this exclusion explicit and changing it in the direction of better representation and more participation in social and political life. Thus, we will analyze women’s participation in politics as well as the politics of women’s issues. These efforts have been expanded both in the academic/theoretical setting and in engagement with decision makers as well as on the street. Theoretically, feminist contributions have exposed the gendered assumptions that traditional fields of study in political science such as citizenship, modernity, nationalism are based on while in practice, women have mobilized in civil society organizations and social movements to underline and improve on common issues of concern such as violence against women, unequal access to decision-making structures and labor market inequalities. Students will gain an understanding of these issues within a broader theoretical framework of gender inequality, with a special focus on the obstacles to women’s equal participation in political and social life in Turkey. We will study and discuss concepts such as the public and the private divide, women’s rights, identity, intersectionality and representation.

Learning Outcomes

The students who have succeeded in this course;
The students who have succeeded in this course can

1. Recognize the scale and scope of the problem in various contexts
2. Understand different forms of exclusion, discrimination and obstacles to women’s participation in the political sphere
3. Discuss how and why politics is gendered as well as the efforts in making this exclusion explicit
4. Become familiar with policies in increasing representation and participation of women in social and political life such as gender quotas, gender equality policies and gender mainstreaming
5. Compare women’s political representation in different cases
6. Analyze relevant concepts such as gender, patriarchy, public-private dichotomy and discuss the contribution of feminist theory (Western and non-Western) to understanding women’s political participation
7. Develop competencies with respect to comparative inquiry and critical thinking

Course Content

Gender inequality is among the top scathing social issues in Turkey. The gender gap has manifested itself in various dimensions of social, political and economic life and has translated into severe exclusion and deprivation for women in all these spheres. Turkey has ranked 133 out of 156 countries in the gender gap index 2021 (Global Gender Gap Report 2021, World Economic Forum). This has transpired in a country where its elites had once boasted that women in Turkey do not need feminism because they were already emancipated by the state, which gave women the vote early on in the 20th century and improved their civil rights. One striking aspect of gender inequality in Turkey is the low level of political participation. Women make up approximately 17% of the Parliament. They fare even worse in local elections. The labor market inequalities experienced by women is another crucial aspect of gender inequality in Turkey. This issue is especially important because it has implications for women’s general empowerment. Finally, violence against women in Turkey is extremely widespread, with roughly one in three women subject to gendered violence. In order to understand the issue of violence against women, we will analyze in depth the question of how women’s bodies and issues become politicized and are approached in public debate in ways that reflect gendered perceptions of women’s roles. Students will gain an understanding of these issues within a broader theoretical framework of gender inequality, with a special focus on the obstacles to women’s equal participation in political and social life in Turkey. We will study and discuss concepts such as the public and the private divide, women’s rights, identity, intersectionality and representation.

Weekly Detailed Course Contents

Week	Subject	Related Preparation
1)	Introduction
2)	Basic concepts, theoretical contributions	Okin ‘Gender, the Public, and the Private’ in Phillips, Feminism and Politics, Oxford University Press: 116-141. Mohanty, C. T. 2003. ‘Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses’, in Feminism Without Borders, Duke University Press: 17-42.
3)	Gendered citizenship	Walby, S. 1994. “Is Citizenship Gendered?”, Sociology, 28: 379- 395. Siim, B. 2008. ‘The Challenge of Recognizing Diversity from the Perspective of Gender Equality: Dilemmas in Danish Citizenship’, in B. Siim and J. Squires (eds.), Contesting Citizenship, London and New York: Routledge: 89-109.
4)	Women's rights	Friedman, J. 2007. ‘Women, Islam and rights in Europe: beyond a universalist/culturalist dichotomy’, Review of International Studies, 33: 29-44. Bovarnick, S. 2007. ‘Universal human rights and non-Western normative systems: a comparative analysis of violence against women in Mexico and Pakistan’, Review of International Studies, 33, 1: 59-74. Gökarıksel, B. (2012). The intimate politics of secularism and the headscarf: The mall, the neighborhood, and the public square in Istanbul. Gender, Place & Culture, 19(1), 1-20
5)	Women’s politics, identity politics	Skjeie, H. 2008. ‘Religious Exemptions to Equality’, in B. Siim and J. Squires (eds.), Contesting Citizenship, London and New York: Routledge: 69-88. Fisher Onar, N. and H. Paker. 2012. ‘Towards Cosmopolitan Citizenship? Women’s Rights Organizations in Divided Turkey’, Theory and Society, 41, 4: 375-394. Hill Collins, P. and V. Chepp. 2013. ‘Intersectionality’ in G. Waylen, K. Celis, J. Kantola, S. L. Weldon (ed.), Oxford Handbook of Gender and Politics, OUP.
6)	Political representation-gender equality policies, quotas, and gender mainstreaming	Phillips, A. ‘Democracy and Representation: Or, Why Should it Matter Who our Representatives Are?’, in Phillips, Feminism and Politics: 224-240. Mansbridge, J. 1999. ‘Should Blacks Represent Blacks and Women Represent Women? A Contingent ‘Yes’’, The Journal of Politics, 61, 3: 628-657. Assignment 1 due
7)	Political representation- gender equality policies, quotas, and gender mainstreaming (cont.)	Crespi, I. 2009. ‘Gender differences and equality issues in Europe: critical aspects of gender mainstreaming policies’, International Review of Sociology, 19, 1: 171-188. Wängnerud, L. and A. Sundell. 2012. ‘Do politics Matter? Women in Swedish local elected assemblies 1970-2010 and gender equality in outcomes’, European Political Science Review, 4, 1: 97-120.
8)	Alternative forms of political participation- the women’s movement	Moghadam, V. 2005. ‘Chapter 2: Globalization and Its Discontents: Capitalist Development, Political Movements, and Gender’, in Globalizing Women: Transnational Feminist Networks, Balitimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press: 21-49. Moghadam, V. 2005. ‘Chapter 4: The Women’s Movement and its Organizations: Discourses, Structures, Resources’, in Globalizing Women: Transnational Feminist Networks, Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press: 78-104.
9)	Alternative forms of political participation- the women’s movement (cont.)	Amrita Basu, “Globalization of the Local/Localization of the Global: Mapping Transnational Women’s Movements,” Meridians 1.1 (2000): 68-84. Visual material: Makers: Women who Make America (asynchronized); summary/key figures/ key debates
10)	Alternative forms of political participation- the women’s movement in Turkey and state feminism	Coşar, S. and F. Gençoğlu Onbaşı. 2008. ‘Women’s Movement in Turkey at a Crossroads: From Women’s Rights Advocacy to Feminism’, South European Society and Politics 13, 3: 325-344. Cagatay, Selin. 2018. “Women’s Coalitions beyond the Laicism–Islamism Divide in Turkey: Towards an Inclusive Struggle for Gender Equality?”, Social Inclusion 6(4), pp. 48-58. Arat, Y. 2000. ‘From emancipation to liberation: The changing role of women in Turkey’s public realm’, Journal of International Affairs, 54(1),107-123.
11)	Women at the intersection of modernity and nationalism	Arat, Y. 1997. ‘The Project of Modernity and Women in Turkey’, in S. Bozdoğan and R. Kasaba (eds.), Rethinking Modernity and National Identity in Turkey, Seattle and London, University of Washington Press: 95-112. Kandiyoti, D. 1997. ‘Gendering the Modern: On Missing Dimensions in the Study of Turkish Modernity’, in S. Bozdoğan and R. Kasaba (eds.), Rethinking Modernity and National Identity in Turkey, Seattle and London, University of Washington Press: 113-132. Doğangün, G. (2020). Gender climate in authoritarian politics: A comparative study of Russia and Turkey. Politics & Gender, 16(1), 258-284. Najmabadi, A. 1998. ‘Crafting an Educated Housewife in Iran’ in L. Abu-Lughod (ed.), Remaking Women, Feminism and Modernity in the Middle East, New Jersey: Princeton University Press: 91-125. Assignment 2 due**
12)	Politicizing women’ bodies	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. Parla, A. 2001. ‘The ‘Honor’ of the State: Virginity Examinations in Turkey’, Feminist Studies, 27,1: 65-88. İlkkaracan, P. ‘How Adultery Almost Derailed Turkey’s Aspiration to Join the European Union’, in R. Parker, R. Petchesky and R. Sember (eds.), Sex Politics, Reports from the Front Lines, Sexuality Policy Watch: 247-276. Chappell, L. ‘Interacting with the State: Feminist strategies and Political Opportunities’ in M. L. Krook and S. Childs (ed.), Women, Gender, and Politics: a Reader, Oxford university Press.
13)	Identity, politics and sexuality: focus on LGBTQ politics	Glick, E. 2000. ‘Sex Positive: Feminism, Queer Theory, and the Politics of Transgression’ Feminist Review, 64 (1). Terriquez, V. 2015. ‘Intersectional mobilization, social movement spillover, and queer youth leadership in the immigrant rights movement’. Social Problems, 62(3), 343-362. Paternotte, D. 2016. ‘The NGOization of LGBT activism: ILGA-Europe and the Treaty of Amsterdam’. Social Movement Studies, 15(4), 388-402.
14)	Review/general assessment of the course
14)	Review and overall assessment Assignment 3 due**

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.
References:	Mevcut Değil

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	70.5
Homework Assignments	3	36
Final	1	1.5
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)	Comprehend the conceptual importance of the game in the field of communication, ability to implement the player centered application to provide design.
2)	Analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information and ideas from various perspectives.
3)	Analyze the key elements that make up specific game genres, forms of interactions, mode of narratives and understand how they are employed effectively to create a successful game.
4)	Understand game design theories and methods as well as implement them during game development; to make enjoyable, attractive, instructional and immersive according to the target audience.
5)	Understand the technology and computational principles involved in developing games and master the use of game engines.
6)	Understand the process of creation and use of 2D and 3D assets and animation for video games.
7)	Understand and master the theories and methodologies of understanding and measuring player experience and utilize them during game development process.
8)	Comprehend and master how ideas, concepts and topics are conveyed via games followed by the utilization of these aspects during the development process.
9)	Manage the game design and development process employing complete documentation; following the full game production pipeline via documentation.
10)	Understand and employ the structure and work modes of game development teams; comprehend the responsibilities of team members and collaborations between them while utilizing this knowledge in practice.
11)	Understand the process of game publishing within industry standards besides development and utilize this knowledge practice.
12)	Pitching a video game to developers, publishers, and players; mastering the art of effectively communicating and marketing the features and commercial potential of new ideas, concepts or games.