Corporate Social Responsibility and Volunteering Activities (COM275)

Content

Objective

This course aims to enable students to understand the conceptual, historical, and ethical foundations of corporate social responsibility and volunteering and to translate this knowledge into projects that generate social benefit. Students are expected to investigate societal needs and develop, plan, and implement a social responsibility or volunteering project in collaboration with the University and its community stakeholders. Through this process, the course seeks to develop students’ social awareness, ethical responsibility, effective communication, teamwork, and project management skills.

Course Content

The course introduces the concept and historical development of social responsibility, alongside different approaches to social responsibility and volunteering. Building on this conceptual foundation, students develop and implement a corporate social responsibility campaign.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Explain the concepts of social responsibility and corporate social responsibility in relation to their historical development.

• Compare classical and contemporary approaches to social responsibility.

• Evaluate organisations’ areas of social responsibility and their relationships with community stakeholders.

• Critically analyse corporate social responsibility practices in terms of social benefit and ethical responsibility.

• Explain the fundamental principles of volunteering and its role in civic participation.

• Identify societal needs through research and develop project proposals that address these needs.

• Define objectives, target groups, activities, and implementation schedules for social responsibility and volunteering projects.

• Plan and implement a project that generates social benefit in collaboration with the University and its community stakeholders.

• Apply effective communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills in fieldwork.

• Evaluate and report on project processes and outcomes in relation to the stated objectives and social benefit.

Teaching and Learning Methods

Lectures, Project Proposal Writing, and Fieldwork.

References

• Blowfield, M. and Murray, A. (2008). Corporate Responsibility: A Critical Introduction. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
• Çınarlı, İnci. (2013). Stratejik İletişim Yönetimi. 2nd ed. Beta Yayınları, Istanbul.
• Özüpek, Nejat. Kurum İmajı ve Sosyal Sorumluluk. 2nd ed. Eğitim Yayınevi.
• Engin Geçtan — İnsan Olmak.
• Adam Phillips and Barbara Taylor — İyilik Üzerine.
• Richard Sennett — Saygı.
• Peter Singer — The Life You Can Save.
• Susan Sontag — Başkalarının Acısına Bakmak.

Weekly Contents

Theory Topics
Week	Weekly Contents
1	Defining Social Responsibility and Exploring Its Historical Development (Lecture)
2	Corporate Social Responsibility in Practice: Examples and Case Studies (Lecture)
3	Classical and Contemporary Approaches to Social Responsibility (Lecture)
4	Organisational Areas of Social Responsibility and Research for CSR Initiatives (Lecture)
5	Volunteering and Project Proposal Development
6	Volunteering and Project Proposal Development
7	Volunteering and Project Proposal Development
8	Midterm Exam
9	Fieldwork Planning for Social Responsibility and Volunteering Initiatives
10	Fieldwork
11	Fieldwork
12	Fieldwork
13	Fieldwork
14	Fieldwork

Assessment System

Contribution to Overall Grade
Activities	Number	Contribution
Contribution of in-term studies to overall grade	1	40
Contribution of final exam to overall grade	1	60
Total	2	100

In-Term Studies
Activities	Number	Contribution
Assignments	1	60
Presentation	0	0
Midterm Examinations (including preparation)	1	40
Project	0	0
Laboratory	0	0
Other Applications	0	0
Quiz	0	0
Term Paper/ Project	0	0
Portfolio Study	0	0
Reports	0	0
Learning Diary	0	0
Thesis/ Project	0	0
Seminar	0	0
Other	0	0
Make-up	0	0
Total	2	100

Relation of Proficiency

No	Program Learning Outcomes	Contribution
No	Program Learning Outcomes	1	2	3	4	5
1	Will have effective written and oral communication skills in Turkish					X
2	Will have a thorough knowledge of at least two foreign languages	X
3	Will be informed about art and culture, human rights, social, professional and ethical values, law and legislation, quality standards, and will be aware of their responsibility on these subjects					X
4	Will have sufficient knowledge about social sciences, professions and sectors in communication and media, innovative and entrepreneurial practices			X
5	Will have the ability to use, in an effective and creative way, the techniques and tools and information technologies necessary for interactive and conventional media, in the context of health and safety in the workplace			X
6	Will have the ability to develop documentary and fictional content related to their field for interactive and conventional media; also the ability to produce and manage this content in group					X
7	Will have the theoretical knowledge and ability to carry out and share scientific work on communication environments and processes of interactive and conventional media and on the individual and social outcomes of the latter					X
8	Will have the knowledge of analysis and modelling techniques to analyse interactive and conventional media and the communication environments and processes			X
9	Will have the ability to question and critically analyse developments and problems concerning interactive and conventional media and the communication environments and processes, will be aware of the public interest, social responsibility and the environment, will be sensitive to contemporary world’s and Turkey's current problems; will develop a libertarian, democratic, constructive and problem-solving approach					X
10	They are familiar with the historical development processes of electronic, digital media and film; and the current developments in these fields
11	They learn sociological, cultural and aesthetic approaches in electronic, digital media and film
12	They learn the political economy of cultural industries, labour and production relations, analysis of marketing and consumption patterns.
13	They learn at a first level how to use the equipment necessary for the production of audio-visual content for TV, radio and digital media and of films in different genres
14	They gain experience in conducting creative activities in electronic, digital media and film; in producing and working in groups
15	They acquire theoretical information in the fields of public relations, advertising, integrated marketing communication and organizational communication
16	They are familiar with the research, planning, implementation and evaluation processes in public relations and advertising; they can create campaigns, present them effectively and write reports					X
17	They have knowledge of organisational communication, crisis and risk communication, reputation management, media relations, media planning, digital media management, brand management and interpersonal communication. They are able to carry out activities in these areas					X
18	They use public relations and advertising strategies and tactics appropriate to the specificities of conventional and new media					X
19	They are aware of legal regulations, ethical codes in public relations and advertising, and they remain faithful to them	X
20	They are familiar with the different theoretical approaches regarding the social place, role and functions of journalism as a social institution and phenomenon; they are familiar with the process of producing information for conventional and digital media
21	They are familiar with the structural and technical specificities, management characteristics of conventional/mainstream media, as well as alternative media structures
22	They are familiar with the new conceptual and theoretical discussions emerging from interactive/digital media in terms of social sciences and humanities
23	They are familiar with the historical development of journalism in Turkey and in the world; they can analyse it in the context of social and political history
24	They have the ability to effectively use information technology, printing and publishing techniques; to write a press article using data collected on the web and on social media, to visualize this data and to publish it

ECTS

Activities	Number	Period	Total Workload
Class Hours	14	3	42
Working Hours out of Class	14	3	42
Assignments	0	0	0
Presentation	0	0	0
Midterm Examinations (including preparation)	1	6	6
Project	0	0	0
Laboratory	0	0	0
Other Applications	0	0	0
Final Examinations (including preparation)	2	5	10
Quiz	0	0	0
Term Paper/ Project	0	0	0
Portfolio Study	0	0	0
Reports	0	0	0
Learning Diary	0	0	0
Thesis/ Project	0	0	0
Seminar	0	0	0
Other	0	0	0
Make-up	0	0	0
Yıl Sonu	0	0	0
Hazırlık Yıl Sonu	0	0	0
Hazırlık Bütünleme	0	0	0
Total Workload			100
Total Workload / 25			4.00
Credits ECTS			4