Special Topics in Political science(SP411)
| Course Code | Course Name | Semester | Theory | Practice | Lab | Credit | ECTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP411 | Special Topics in Political science | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| Prerequisites | |
| Admission Requirements |
| Language of Instruction | French |
| Course Type | Elective |
| Course Level | Bachelor Degree |
| Course Instructor(s) | Cihan ÖZPINAR cozpinar@gsu.edu.tr (Email) |
| Assistant | |
| Objective |
ATTENTION: This course is devoted to RACE, GENDER, CLASS during Fall Term of the AY 2025-2026. The language of instruction is ENGLISH. This course is officially listed as SP 411: Special Topics in Political Science, and it will show up in your transcripts as such. It is an elective course for the undergraduate students in Political Science at Galatasaray University. The course is open to a limited number of other undergraduate students at the university, as well as exchange students. The aim of this course is to have students study the differentiations within multiple forms of subjection in social life from a comparative perspective and discuss their specificities. Departing from social theory, it is intended to increase students’ analytical capacities with putting theory to work vis-à-vis empirical cases of racial, gender, and class forms of subjection, as well as their intersections — all within global and contemporary history. |
| Content | We’ll adopt an intersectional approach for the study of the race–gender–class nexus. Each week students will be introduced to a theme under one of the race, gender, and class categories, and they will actively contribute to classroom discussion based upon their weekly readings. While the course approaches race, gender, and class from an intersectional perspective, there will be separate treating of each category and their particular analytical value. Some of the major figures involved in social movements at the intersections of race, gender, and class will be examined, along with major contributors to the theoretical debates in the theme. The course as such will be theory-driven, but based on empirical historical/contemporary data. |
| Course Learning Outcomes | The output for this course would be that students progress to a better position to engage theoretically and empirically with the current discussions around race, gender, and class in Turkey, Europe, and North America with rigorous social science tools. Another output would be to increase awareness on the multiple forms of social inequalities in our modern societies. |
| Teaching and Learning Methods | Teaching will be in the classroom and there won’t be any hybrid option. MS Teams is the platform for communication, course materials and student work. Each week's session will be 3 hours. Students may reach out the instructor via email, or visit the office C320 with appointment. |
| References |
Camfield, D. (2016) “Elements of a Historical Materialist Theory of Racism”, Historical Materialism, 24(1): 31–70. Davis, A. (2019) Women, Race & Class, London: Penguin. Hall, S. (2017) The Fateful Triangle: Race, Ethnicity, Nation, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Hall, S. (2021[1980]) “Race, Articulation and Societies Structured in Dominance”, in Selected Writings on Race and Difference, Durham, NC: Duke University Press. Lewis, H. (2022) The Politics of Everybody: Feminism, Queer Theory and Marxism at the Intersection — A Revised Edition, New York: Bloomsbury. Mitchell, J. (1984) Women: The Longest Revolution, London: Verso. Przeworski, A. (1985) “Proletariat into a Class: The Process of Class Formation” in Capitalism and Social Democracy, New York: Cambridge University Press. Vogel, L. (2013) Marxism and the Oppression of Women: Toward a Unitary Theory, Leiden: Brill. Wright, E.O. (2010) Understanding Class, London: Verso. Wright, E.O. (2005) “If Class Is the Answer, What Is the Question?” in Approaches to Class Analysis, New York: Cambridge University Press. |
Theory Topics
| Week | Weekly Contents |
|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction |
| 2 | Racism, Patriarchy, Exploitation: Totality or Singularity? |
| 3 | What Is Race? From a pseudo-scientific biological concept to a social phenomenon |
| 4 | Race, Racism, and Capitalism |
| 5 | Race and Racism as a Social Structure |
| 6 | Gender or Sex? |
| 7 | Gender and Social Reproduction |
| 8 | Are Other Feminisms Possible? |
| 9 | What Is Social Class? |
| 10 | What Is Class Analysis? Is Class Explanans or Explanandum? |
| 11 | Class Consciousness |
| 12 | Class Formation |
| 13 | Intersectionality or Specificity? |
| 14 | Rethinking Race, Gender and Class Together |
Practice Topics
| Week | Weekly Contents |
|---|
Contribution to Overall Grade
| Number | Contribution | |
|---|---|---|
| Contribution of in-term studies to overall grade | 12 | 50 |
| Contribution of final exam to overall grade | 1 | 50 |
| Toplam | 13 | 100 |
In-Term Studies
| Number | Contribution | |
|---|---|---|
| Assignments | 0 | 0 |
| Presentation | 0 | 0 |
| Midterm Examinations (including preparation) | 0 | 0 |
| Project | 0 | 0 |
| Laboratory | 0 | 0 |
| Other Applications | 0 | 0 |
| Quiz | 0 | 0 |
| Term Paper/ Project | 1 | 50 |
| Portfolio Study | 0 | 0 |
| Reports | 0 | 0 |
| Learning Diary | 0 | 0 |
| Thesis/ Project | 0 | 0 |
| Seminar | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 12 | 50 |
| Make-up | 0 | 0 |
| Toplam | 13 | 100 |
| No | Program Learning Outcomes | Contribution | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 1 | Understanding the major theories, concepts, foundations, and methodologies used in the study of politics. | X | ||||
| 2 | Identifying the structure and operation of the political system in Turkey and other political systems in the world. | X | ||||
| 3 | Identifying and gathering information from credible primary and secondary sources; analyzing and synthesizing the acquired knowledge. | X | ||||
| 4 | Generating and testing empirically hypotheses about political processes, institutions, mechanisms and relationships. | X | ||||
| 5 | Designing, conducting and interpreting the results of original research in accordance with the scientific and ethical principles by using basic research methods. | X | ||||
| 6 | Showing awareness and sensivity towards issues related to democracy, human rights and social peace. | X | ||||
| 7 | Appraising the sources of societal conflict and how they can be resolved by political means. | X | ||||
| 8 | Examining critically the nature of change in the global political community, and the complex character of processes such as globalization. | X | ||||
| 9 | Taking a role in a teamwork in political science and general fields of other related disciplines. | X | ||||
| 10 | Following publications in foreign languages and communicating with the colleagues in the international environment by using French which is the language of education in Galatasaray University and English, the compulsory foreign language. | X | ||||
| 11 | Using required level of information and communication technologies. | X | ||||
| 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) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Project | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Laboratory | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Applications | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Final Examinations (including preparation) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quiz | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Term Paper/ Project | 1 | 20 | 20 |
| Portfolio Study | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Reports | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Learning Diary | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Thesis/ Project | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seminar | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 12 | 3 | 36 |
| Make-up | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yıl Sonu | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hazırlık Yıl Sonu | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hazırlık Bütünleme | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Workload | 140 | ||
| Total Workload / 25 | 5.60 | ||
| Credits ECTS | 6 | ||