SOC380.18 Social Movements and New Media

Social movements can be defined as social change at the local, national or global level. This change can take place in terms of affecting the human rights issues and concerns or policies, ethnic, national or gender equality issues, or environmental, class and religious/secularist changes driven by people rather than the governments of power regimes. This course aims to discuss the link between media technologies, including digital and mobile ones, and social movements of the recent past. (NMD 3105)

The course will focus on the notion of youth in a broad sense as a phase in human life between childhood and adulthood. The course will examine the social construction of youth in Turkey, Middle East and Western societies, and will focus on fundamental social changes facing the youth today in educational sphere, transition from school to work, and transition from dependency to independence and family formation. Then, we will discuss the unique patterns characteristic of youth in the areas of wellness and health, delinquency and crime, life-styles and subcultures, political participation and other. Finally, we will examine the role of youth subcultures and their variability in the global context. (SOC 3092)

The purpose of this course is to analyze fascism and National Socialism, and to provide a basis to assess the significance of these world-views in the modern period. Another goal of the course is to describe the relationship between ultra-right and conservative regimes and ideologies, and fascism. We will also describe the fascist and far right regimes and movements in countries like Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Hungary, Romania, Japan, and Turkey. (SOC 3058)

This course aims to introduce students to youth studies and related methodologies. Students examine youth studies from media studies’ perspective and discuss what youth is, what the youth culture is, and how youth culture varies across different places and time. By developing research questions, applying particular methods into their research, and completing fieldwork, students will have a good grasp of the current and future trends in young people’s media consumption behaviors. The content of the course thus will include both theoretical perspectives and practices of research. (NMD 3006/NMD 2908)

The course presents a selection of readings that could provoke critical thinking about gender, state and society. The course includes lectures, large and small group discussions, films and student-led seminars. It aims to examine theories of gender, the gendered constitution of policy debates about work/life balance, gender processes and gender practice in the field of education, and the gender processes in local and global level. SU students may not earn credit for both this course and SOC 305. (SOC 3057)

This course explores the theoretical perspectives developed in social sciences about “mass culture” and, by the theoretical tools of these perspectives, critically examines the phenomenon of popular culture. Who are the producers and consumers of popular culture? The course eventually explores various theorists and theories, such as Raymond Williams, Stuart Hall, Marxisms, Structuralists, Postmodernists and others, to find a better perspective for understanding popular culture. (NMD 3004)

The course will examine issues related to body in everyday life and in various forms of art of dance in the Western/Westernized hemisphere of the world. First we will have a brief look at different approaches to body. Then we will see that body is not necessarily only a natural entity but is significantly socio-culturally and socio-politically constructed. The body is constructed depending on socio-political context, historical period and socio-economic class. Body movement, including dance, is not directly a reflection of physical definitions either. They are products of particular classes and historical periods such as ballet, Argentinean tango and modern dance. In addition we are going to look at body and how it is turning into an object and subject of culture industries and consumption cultures in the contemporary Western/Westernized societies. (SOC 3008/SOC 3055)

The course will introduce social movements and collective behavior as constituent elements of life in society and as mechanisms of social transformation. The course will explore different theoretical perspectives on social movements as well as the issues of the emergence of social movements, participation, organizational dynamics, obstacles, and criteria for success. The goal of this course is, on the one hand, to deepen students? understanding of the key processes and research in the area of social movements and collective behavior, and, on the other, to provide them with tools for their own effective participation in civil society and implementing social change. (SOC 3002/3042)

Course aims to locate the significance of religion in society and the role of religious consciousness in human action. It surveys comparatively and historically the role that religion has played in human society, and explores the interaction between religion and world wide social change. Other topics include the secularization debate, the concept of civil religion, new religious movements and religious fundamentalism. (SOC 4031/4003)