SOCIOLOGY (ENGLISH, PHD)
PhD TR-NQF-HE: Level 8 QF-EHEA: Third Cycle EQF-LLL: Level 8

Course Introduction and Application Information

Course Code Course Name Semester Theoretical Practical Credit ECTS
SOC6009 Anthropological Readings in Turkey Fall 3 0 3 12
The course opens with the approval of the Department at the beginning of each semester

Basic information

Language of instruction: En
Type of course: Departmental Elective
Course Level:
Mode of Delivery: Face to face
Course Coordinator : Assoc. Prof. AYŞEGÜL AKDEMİR
Course Objectives: This course aims to create a space for the in-depth analysis and discussion of major societal issues in Turkey from an anthropological lens. We will be covering gender and family, religion, secularism, state and power as well as new social movements and activism in contemporary Turkey. Focusing on ethnographic studies will provide the students with an insight and understanding of the connections between micro and macro problems while familisarising them with ethnographic writing.

Learning Outputs

The students who have succeeded in this course;
(1) Understanding gender and family relations in contemporary Turkey, both in rural and urban areas,
(2) Understanding religion and secularism debates in modern Turkey,
(3) Expand your knowledge on nationalism and state-building in contemporary Turkey,
(4) Develop insight on current social movements and activism,
(5) Have a critical perspective on the role of anthropology in analysing the substantial topics on modern Turkey,
(6) Build new skills in data collection and presentation,
(7) Evaluating ethnographic research critically.

Course Content

This advanced course offers an in-depth exploration of anthropological literature focusing on Turkey, examining the country's rich cultural tapestry through various theoretical and methodological lenses. Students will engage with seminal and contemporary texts that address key themes such as nationalism, identity, migration, and urbanization. The course will also highlight the diverse ethnic and religious communities within Turkey, providing a comprehensive understanding of their historical and socio-cultural contexts. Through critical readings, discussions, and research projects, students will develop the skills to analyze and interpret anthropological data, contributing to broader debates in the field of anthropology and enhancing their understanding of Turkey's complex social dynamics.

The teaching methods of the course include individual work, reading, case studies and project preparation, as well as classical learning methods.

Weekly Detailed Course Contents

Week Subject Related Preparation
1) Introduction to the course
2) Gender & Family Delaney, C. (1991). The seed and the soil: Gender and cosmology in Turkish village society (Vol. 11). Univ of California Press.
3) Gender & Family Delaney, C. (1991). The seed and the soil: Gender and cosmology in Turkish village society (Vol. 11). Univ of California Press.
4) Religion & Secularism Shankland, D. (2003). The Alevis in Turkey: the emergence of a secular Islamic tradition. Routledge.
5) Religion & Secularism Tuğal, C. (2009). Passive revolution: Absorbing the Islamic challenge to capitalism. Stanford University Press. Tuğal, C. (2009). Transforming everyday life: Islamism and social movement theory. Theory and Society, 38(5), 423-458. Sharma, Aradhana, and Akhil Gupta (2006) Faces of the State: Secularism and Public Life in Turkey. in The anthropology of the state: a reader.
6) Religion & Secularism "
7) State & Nationalism Demirer, S. Ö. (2011). Anthropology as a nation-building rhetoric: the shaping of Turkish anthropology (from 1850s to 1940s). Dialectical Anthropology, 35(1), 111-129. Navaro-Yashin, Y. “Society, Economy and the State Effect.” The Anthropology of the State: A Reader 9: 169.
8) State & Nationalism "
9) State & Nationalism Documentary (TBA)
10) Social Movements Ayata, A. (1997). The emergence of identity politics in Turkey. New Perspectives on Turkey, 17, 59-73. Kaya, A. (2017). Right to public space: social movements and active citizenship in Turkey. Research and Policy on Turkey, 2(1), 1-9.
11) Social Movements Gümrükçü, S. B. (2010). The Rise of a Social Movement: The Emergence of Anti‐Globalization Movements in Turkey. Turkish Studies, 11(2), 163-180. Tüfekçi, Z. (2017). Twitter and tear gas: The power and fragility of networked protest. Yale University Press.
12) Student Presentations
13) Student Presentations
14) General Evaluation

Sources

Course Notes: Diğer gerekli okumalar Itslearning üzerinden öğrencilerle paylaşılacaktır. Herhangi bir materyale erişimde sorun yaşarsanız, lütfen dersin öğretim görevlisi ile iletişime geçin. Other required readings will be uploaded to students via Itslearning. If you cannot access any material, please contact the instructor of the course.
References: Delaney, C. (1991). The seed and the soil: Gender and cosmology in Turkish village society (Vol. 11). Univ of California Press. Shankland, D. (2003). The Alevis in Turkey: the emergence of a secular Islamic tradition. Routledge. Tuğal, C. (2009). Passive revolution: Absorbing the Islamic challenge to capitalism. Stanford University Press. Tuğal, C. (2009). Transforming everyday life: Islamism and social movement theory. Theory and Society, 38(5), 423-458. Sharma, Aradhana, and Akhil Gupta (2006) Faces of the State: Secularism and Public Life in Turkey. in The anthropology of the state: a reader. Demirer, S. Ö. (2011). Anthropology as a nation-building rhetoric: the shaping of Turkish anthropology (from 1850s to 1940s). Dialectical Anthropology, 35(1), 111-129. Navaro-Yashin, Y. “Society, Economy and the State Effect.” The Anthropology of the State: A Reader 9: 169. Ayata, A. (1997). The emergence of identity politics in Turkey. New Perspectives on Turkey, 17, 59-73. Kaya, A. (2017). Right to public space: social movements and active citizenship in Turkey. Research and Policy on Turkey, 2(1), 1-9. Gümrükçü, S. B. (2010). The Rise of a Social Movement: The Emergence of Anti‐Globalization Movements in Turkey. Turkish Studies, 11(2), 163-180. Tüfekçi, Z. (2017). Twitter and tear gas: The power and fragility of networked protest. Yale University Press. Arsel, M., Adaman, F., & Akbulut, B. (2021). Political economy of environmental conflicts in Turkey: From the Bergama resistance to the Gezi protests and beyond. In The Routledge Handbook on Contemporary Turkey (pp. 309-321). Routledge.

Evaluation System

Semester Requirements Number of Activities Level of Contribution
Attendance 14 % 10
Laboratory % 0
Application % 0
Field Work 1 % 20
Special Course Internship (Work Placement) % 0
Quizzes % 0
Homework Assignments 1 % 20
Presentation 1 % 10
Project % 0
Seminar % 0
Midterms % 0
Preliminary Jury % 0
Final 1 % 40
Paper Submission % 0
Jury % 0
Bütünleme % 0
Total % 100
PERCENTAGE OF SEMESTER WORK % 60
PERCENTAGE OF FINAL WORK % 40
Total % 100

ECTS / Workload Table

Activities Number of Activities Duration (Hours) Workload
Course Hours 14 3 42
Laboratory 0 0 0
Application 0 0 0
Special Course Internship (Work Placement) 0 0 0
Field Work 1 30 30
Study Hours Out of Class 14 8 112
Presentations / Seminar 1 30 30
Project 0 0 0
Homework Assignments 1 40 40
Quizzes 0 0 0
Preliminary Jury 0 0 0
Midterms 0 0 0
Paper Submission 0 0 0
Jury 0 0 0
Final 1 40 40
Total Workload 294

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) o 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.