Anthropology Undergraduate Program Compulsory and Elective Course Contents

REQUIRED COURSES

I. Term

ENG 101 - English I (4 ETCS)
Students study the economic, social, and environmental factors that have contributed to the concept of sustainable development. The course primarily looks at sustainability from a business perspective (e.g. corporate social responsibility and business ethics). Students explore the underlying theoretical principles as well as the practical implications of sustainable development both in Turkey and around the world.

HIST 103 - World History I (6 ETCS)
The course surveys the major patterns, themes and events of human activity from a global comparative perspective within a broad chronological framework. Developments such as migration, commerce, non-commercial exchanges, and spread of religions and diseases from ancient times to the Early-Modern period with a special emphasis on the Mediterranean Basin are the topics of the course.

MATH 101 - Mathematics for Social Sciences I (6 ETCS)
MATH 101 covers differential and integral calculus of single-variable functions. Topics include functions and graphs, linear and quadratic functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, limits and continuity, the derivative, differentiation rules, implicit differentiation, logarithmic differentiation, curve sketching, the indefinite integral, the definite integral, methods of integration, and applications of definite integrals.

PSY 105 - Behavioral Biology (4 ETCS)
This course introduces biology to psychology students and hence focuses on the biological basis of behavior. After a general introduction to biology, which covers the scope of biology and an examination of the chemistry and the cells of life, the theory of evolution is presented in detail together with its relation to study of behavior and cognition. Behavioral inheritance, epigenetics, hormonal control and neuroscience at introductory level are further topics to be covered.

SOC 104 - Introduction to Sociology (6 ETCS)
This course contains basic concepts and theoretical approaches in sociology. Major topics are social organizations and stratification, community power and social exchange, social defiance and control, social change, race and ethnicity, and organizations.

TLL 101 - Turkish Language and Literature I (4 ETCS)
This course is intended to develop sophistication in spoken debate of complex ideas. It covers characteristics of Turkish language and selected works in Turkish Literature. Emphasis is placed on reading, critically examining and discussing selected prose, stories and poetry. Correct use of Turkish will be discussed with examples of narration defects, punctuation and spelling mistakes etc. and historical and cultural foundations of literary texts will be analyzed.

II. Term

ANTH 101 - Introduction to Anthropology (6 ETCS)
This course provides an introduction to the main areas of anthropology: socio-cultural, linguistic, physical anthropology and archaeology, and examines the establishment of anthropology as a historical discipline that studies human cultures. Following the basic knowledge, students will examine the contemporary applications of socio-cultural anthropology.

ENG 102 - English II (3 ETCS)
Students study the core concepts and key terminology of social entrepreneurship to understand the complexity of social and environmental challenges and how those challenges can create entrepreneurial opportunities. During the course, students study cases on social entrepreneurship (both in Turkey and in the world), and investigate enabling tools such as microcredit loans which facilitate social entrepreneurship.
Prerequisite: ENG 101

HIST104 - World History II (6 ETCS)
The course surveys the major themes and events of human activity from a global comparative perspective within a broad chronological framework. The course provides a survey of socioeconomic, cultural, ideological and political structures and developments such as migration, commerce, spread of religions, diseases, and the rise of global industrial capitalism.

PHIL 102 - Introduction to Philosophy (4 ETCS)
This course aims to introduce some of the primary philosophical ideas and arguments regarding knowledge, mind, self, morality and social and political existence and technology. The philosophical perspectives and world views of philosophers such as Plato, Kant, Descartes, Hobbes, Hume, Mill, Habermas and Wittgenstein will be discussed.

PSY 100 - General Psychology (6 ETCS)
This course aims to develop an understanding that psychology is a scientific study of mental processes and behavior. A broad and introductory overview of the theoretical and applied fields of psychology will be covered.

SEC 101 - Introduction to University (1 ETCS)
This course aims to ensure the adaptation of students to university life, to strengthen their ties with the university, to increase awareness of social responsibility, to support their personal and academic development.

TLL 102 - Turkish Language and Literature II (4 ETCS)
This course is intended to develop sophistication in written debate of complex ideas. It covers selected works in Turkish Literature and different approaches to literature to answer the question why we read fictional works. Emphasis is placed on reading selected novels, stories and drama, and writing analytic papers on them. Correct use of Turkish will also be discussed with examples of narration defects, punctuation and spelling mistakes etc. during the course.

III. Term

ANTH 201 - History of Anthropological Thought (6 ETCS)
This course introduces anthropological thought and approaches starting from the end of the 18th century and covers the process of anthropology's transformation into a discipline. Students will discuss anthropology from an interdisciplinary perspective as it develops intertwined with disciplines such as philosophy, history, sociology and psychology.

ANTH 203 - Research Methods I (6 ETCS)
This course is a basic introduction to anthropological research methods, including ethnography, participant observation, interviews, focus groups, narrative inquiry, discourse analysis, and text analysis. Students discuss how researchers develop research questions, conceptualize their fields, negotiate researcher ethics and identity, and analyze qualitative data.

ANTH 205 - Economy, Culture, Politics (6 AKTS)
This introductory course in economic anthropology examines the reciprocal and dynamic relationships between economics, politics and culture. It examines the impact of different economic systems on politics and culture and, conversely, the impact of politics and culture on economics. After a basic introduction, the course focuses on current issues and debates in the field.

HIST 201 - History of Turkish Revolution I (4 ETCS)
This is the first of a sequence of two term-courses that focus on the political, economic, social, and cultural history of the late Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Turkey. It addresses issues related to why and how the Ottoman Empire ended; why and how the Republic of Turkey came onto the agenda; what the nascent Republic inherited from the Empire in terms of the relationship between state and society; and what kind of nation and nation-state was imagined in Early Republican Turkey

IR 101 - Introduction to Political Science (6 ETCS)
This course is designed as a broad introduction to Political Science. As such, it primarily focuses on the introduction of the fundamental concepts of the field. The course carries out this task through a survey the subfields and debates of the field, such as political regimes and institutions, international relations and actors, political thought and ideologies.

SEC 201 - Introduction to Sectors I (2 ETCS)
SEC201 will deepen students’ knowledge of work life and industry profile in each of the following four sectors: Financial, Information and Communication Technologies, Social and Emerging sectors. Students will not only be provided with sectoral information, they will be equipped with tools and skills to find and interpret most relevant and up to date industry data. Extensive sectoral information will be enhanced by expert guest lecturers from the business world, visits to firms, first hand brief industry experience, as well as case studies.

IV. Term

ANTH 202 - Theories of Anthropology (6 ETCS)
The course introduces the basic concepts and theories that have left their mark on anthropological literature. Relying on theoretical analyses of different societies, students will learn about subjects such as kinship relations, systems of sovereignty, gift economies, belief systems, temporality, colonial relations, social rituals.

ANTH 204 - Research Methods II (6 ETCS)
Students who have acquired a certain knowledge of anthropological research methods in the Research Methods I course will apply this knowledge to a chosen research problem in this course. Under the supervision of the course instructor, students examine the relevant literature on a topic of their interest, formulate a research question, conduct field research and report this research at the end of the semester.

ANTH 206 - Science, Technology and Society (6 ETCS)
This course introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of Science, Technology, and Society (STS) studies. STS endeavors to explore how  society and culture influence and shape science and technology, and how science and technology influence and shape society and culture in turn. The course addresses fieldworks conducted in diverse contexts that span a wide range of scientific and technological domains, from reproductive technologies and organ transplant to matsutake mushroom, nuclear bombs, space travel, smart phones, online games, and home appliances.

HIST202 - History of Turkish Revolution II (4 ETCS)
This is the second of a sequence of two term-courses that focus on the political, economic, social, and cultural history of the late Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Turkey. It addresses issues related to Turkey’s experience with democracy during the cold war period; import-substituting industrialization in the 1960s and 1970s; the open economy of 1980s and its political, social and cultural outcomes; and Turkey-European Union relations and their impact on the relationship between state and society in Turkey.
Prerequisite: HIST 201

SEC 202 - Introduction to Sectors II (2 ETCS)
SEC 202 will deepen students’ knowledge of work life and industry profile in each of the following four sectors: Retail, Health, Tourism and Real Estate, Production and Emerging sectors. Students will not only be provided with sectoral information, they will be equipped with tools and skills to find and interpret most relevant and up to date industry data. Extensive sectoral information will be enhanced by expert guest lecturers from the business world, visits to firms, first hand brief industry experience, as well as case studies.
Prerequisite: SEC 201

V. Term

ANTH 301 - Anthropology of Business, Innovation and Design (6 ETCS)
Anthropology, with its unique research methods, is among the newest social science fields to address business. In this course, students learn how an anthropological approach may be applied in the fields of business, product design, user experience research, marketing and workplace culture.

ANTH 303 - Gender, Society, Politics (6 ETCS)
The course introduces students to the themes of gender studies and the importance of a feminist/gender perspective in the analysis of social, political, and cultural processes. Using gender as a lens, the course examines the fields of education, politics, family, media, and science and technology; and analyzes the ways in which gender inequality shapes these fields. By developing a knowledge of the basic concepts and major critiques of feminist theory, the course aims to raise awareness of gender inequality and its intersections with other forms of inequalities.

VI. Term

ANTH 300 - Anthropology Internship (6 ETCS)

ANTH 302 - Advanced Issues in Social Theory (6 ETCS)
The literature on social theory, including the discipline of anthropology, is constantly evolving, offering up-to-date analyses in the light of new questions. In this course, students will discuss current theories that build on the basic concepts they have covered in previous courses in the light of developments in the world.

ANTH 304 - Anthropology of Turkey (6 ETCS)
This course examines anthropological and ethnographic studies on the societies and cultures of Turkey in a historical perspective. Students will learn about classical studies on Turkey as well as discuss recent and contemporary studies.

ELECTIVE COURSES (under construction)

Food, Culture and Identity
This course is an introduction to the anthropology of food. Eating is an integral part of forming social relationships and an ideal way to examine key anthropological themes, including familial, class, gender, religious, ethnic and national identities. Food expresses culture, meaning that, literally: you are what you eat. This course explores these issues while also looking at theories of the senses; food and emotion; and heritage, authenticity and food production and preparation in a variety of global contexts.

Disasters and Resilient Cities
The course introduces students to the social, political, historical, and economic reasons and consequences of disasters worldwide and Türkiye and to inform students about novel ways to prepare for disasters by making cities more resilient.

Bodies and Technologies
In recent decades, the intertwining of body and technology has spurred discussions on the future of humanity, encompassing bodily fragmentation, medicalization, and commodification, as well as debates on post-humanism. This course challenges simplistic views of this relationship, exploring the complex ways in which technologies shape and are shaped by bodies, drawing from concepts, theories, and case studies from science and technology studies, anthropology, sociology, cultural studies, and other related fields.

Digital Ethnography
The course introduces methods of conducting ethnographic research in fully digital environments such as social media platforms, blogs, discussion forums, video games and virtual worlds. Students discuss the differences between physical and digital interaction and interpret research on the possibilities and limitations of the digital world.

Sociology of Work and Employment
Most of us devote at least half of the waking hours of our adult lives to work. This alone suggests that we need to think seriously about the act of work. This course explores issues of work and employment under contemporary capitalism. It explores the different conditions and experiences we witness in modern work and working life and the meanings we attribute to these experiences.

Social Movements
Social movements refer to the organized mobilization of a large group of people to achieve a specific political/social goal. Participation in social movements is almost as common a way of influencing politics as voting. In contrast to the bureaucratic, hierarchical and prescriptive character of mainstream party politics, it points to the potential for a more combative, emancipatory and enthusiastic politics. This course examines the place, impact and meaning of social movements in the contemporary world.  

Anthropology of Affect
The course aims to introduce the basic concepts and works of emotion studies and to discuss theories and field experiences in anthropology that focus on individual and social emotions. Students will examine contemporary issues such as mass behavior and public opinion through theories of social affect.