Offers a broad introduction to the growing corpus of literature on the body. Draws on novels, theatrical plays and films across a range of cultural locations and over a broad chronological span from the Renaissance to the present. Considers the ways in which bodily representations reflect social and political attitudes about class, race, gender, and sexuality, and how these attitudes change across different historical periods. Explores the politics of bodily representation in a historicist way and provides a basic introduction to key literary periods.

Credit: 3

An introduction to the various texts problematizing women’s relationship with identity, culture and society. A cross-cultural and interdisciplinary approach exploring the connection between gender, sexuality, class, race, religion and nationality as reflected in literature.

While focusing on women in literature, making students aware of social concerns ranging from war, child abuse, religious oppression, and sexuality and gender discrimination. Issues as they are represented in literature in past contexts as compared to our current global and local contexts with the aim of fostering awareness and concern. Texts written by women in response to and about traumatic events or uncomfortable situations in their lives such as childhood trauma, abuse, war, immigration, oppression due to religion, and sexism. The ways that writing about these experiences can help the process of coping. Our texts will include popular songs, blogs, letters, memoirs, graphic memoirs, diaries, novels and poetry drawn from a variety of cultures and times. The questions we will ask as we read are: What is the difference between fiction and memoir? How can writing be a coping mechanism? Why is writing as coping especially important for and common among women? How do these works serve as cautionary or educational texts? As readers of these texts, how should we respond to the events described, and what can we learn from others? experiences?

Focusing on Irigaray and Kristeva’s reading of Freud and Lacan. Showing what kind of contribution a critical engagement with psychoanalysis can make to feminist questioning of sexual difference and thinking through the challenge feminism presents to psychoanalysis.

A thematic course on contemporary feminist theories. Dealing with issues in sex and gender, as well as other forms of social identity including race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, disability, age, and religion from the perspective of social and political philosophy. Discussing the distinction between mainstream feminist theory that prioritizes the category of “Woman” and contemporary queer theory that questions this category. Special focus on Intersectionality theory that proposes that various forms of social identity and oppression intersect in terms of history and politics.

This course critically explores a variety of political, social, and economic processes through a gendered perspective. It perceives gender as an analytical category that continues to be shaped and reshaped as part of our everyday realities. The course material is organized so that we ask and discuss a number of questions such as, but not limited to, the following: How have notions and practices of gender and sexuality been constructed historically? How did the rise of nation-states continue and alter these processes? What are the living realities of men and women in a globalized world today?

Investigation of sexism, discrimination and gender equality from an interdisciplinary perspective to explore various aspects of women’s human rights from historical, legal, philosophical as well as sociological perspectives. Examination of concepts such as sex, gender, oppression, equality, equity, justice, intersectionality, cultural relativism and rights.

This course aims to study the female characters and stereotypes in Turkish literature through the angle of feminist literary criticism. In the beginning, we will discuss concepts such as woman as writer, and woman as reader. We will then move on to an examination of female characters in the major works of Turkish literature to reveal the sexist approaches in these works. Topics discussed during the course will also include the revision of women’s literature in the light of the discussions around language and gender.

This course aims to discuss the effects of modernization experience on gender through analyses of the literary narratives. It will be explored to what extent the new gender identities and new relations between men and women are related with the modernization project. While exploring these relations, our primary focus will be literature which has been one of the significant tools of Turkish modernization. The course will cover the relations between gender and the themes listed below: The new perception on woman/man, East/ West dichotomy or hybridity, I. World War, Nationalism, War of Independence, Socialism, Feminism, villager/intellectual relations, Islamism and Homosexuality. All of these themes will be discussed with a special focus on the novels and short stories which are representatives of each period. The relation between the narrative structure of the novels/short stories and their content will also be scrutinized.

Critical examination of major ideas and interventions in current feminist thought through a variety of media and artifacts such as literary texts, film, theoretical writings, multimedia, and oral narratives. Particular focus on how gender critiques challenge established notions of femininity, masculinity, identity, and behavior.

Examines gender as a major organizing principle in social life. Particularly, this course focuses on how gender identities are socially constructed and how gender intersects with ethnicity, nationalism, class, sexuality, age and other dimensions of identity and social inequality. It also investigates the roles of family, education, the media, politics, economics and religion in shaping gender identities and inequalities.

Social Stratification, Gender and the City This course aims to provide a theoretical and empirical framework for the analysis of structured social inequality with a special emphasis on gender stratification. The course comprises five parts: The first part is an introduction to the field. The subsequent three parts focus on one key dimension of social stratification each, namely; class and status, gender, and finally, race and ethnicity. Within each part, the topic of social stratification will be discussed in relation to both theory and empirical case studies. Case studies will focus on the Turkish context, as well as other national settings. Furthermore each part will relate social stratification to the urban context. Thus, the way stratification, especially gender stratification, becomes visible in the city constitutes a key part of this course.

The aim of this course is to introduce the students to the issues, debates and themes in the contemporary feminist theory. We will emphasize the impact of recent social theories and their destabilizing influences in comparison to the unifying theme of the earlier feminist theories. We will focus on the conceptual debates surrounding issues such the body, sexuality, sexual identity, the category of woman and the politics of difference.

Introduction to the issues, debates and themes in the contemporary feminist theory. Emphasis on the impact of recent social theories and their destabilizing influences in comparison to the unifying theme of the earlier feminist theories. Special focus on the conceptual debates surrounding issues such the body, sexuality, sexual identity, the category of woman and the politics of difference.

The role of gender in public and private life and its historical, political, cultural and social implications. Gender, Culture, and Politics begins with an inquiry into the role that gender has played in the history of different civilizations, but focuses on European civilizations. It also examines the historiographical development of the field of gender studies. Employing the methodological approaches of semiotics, anthropology, visual culture, and history this course looks at how gender has and continues to impact culture and society in our lives today.

This course focuses on the intersections and interactions between gender, sexuality, genre/style, and cinematic/filmic practice. Through the select case studies ranging from melodrama to documentary, the class is expected to gain a critical insight and to articulate relations between visual media and gendered embodiment, aesthetic form and politics of representation. The module’s focus will be not limited to the classic examples of film history – those in which genre “haunts” gender relations – but expanded to contemporary examples of feminist/queer film and video-art where gender-genre relations are made radically visible via pastiche, parody and generic ambivalence.

This course is a survey of women filmmakers’ journey since the dawn of cinema starting with Maya Deren and ending in contemporary film today. Pausing to contemplate the mastery of Jane Campion’s films, such as Sweetie, An Angel At My Table, The Piano and Portrait of a Lady, this course explores why cinema hasn’t seen enough women film directors. The students will also be made familiar with the works of women screenwriters, editors, casting directors in the film industry. Although this course takes interest in the toils and troubles of women as filmmakers -and not as subject matter-, in order to understand the female gaze, we will make an obligatory stop at the “male gaze”, through the works of Antonioni and Bunuel. We will end on a promising note as we will scrutinize the ample body of work presented by international women directors of the last decade from countries such as Argentina, France and Iran as we come closer to home, to Turkish women in film. Screenings include: Lina Wertmüller’s Swept Away , Catherine Breillat’s Fat Girl , Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding , Rebecca Miller’s Personal Velocity, Niki Caro’s Whale Rider and Sally Potter’s Orlando.

This course is a survey of women filmmakers’ journey since the dawn of cinema starting with Maya Deren and ending in contemporary film today. Pausing to contemplate the mastery of Jane Campion’s films, such as Sweetie, An Angel At My Table, The Piano and Portrait of a Lady, this course explores why cinema hasn’t seen enough women film directors. The students will also be made familiar with the works of women screenwriters, editors, casting directors in the film industry. Although this course takes interest in the toils and troubles of women as filmmakers -and not as subject matter-, in order to understand the female gaze, we will make an obligatory stop at the “male gaze”, through the works of Antonioni and Bunuel. We will end on a promising note as we will scrutinize the ample body of work presented by international women directors of the last decade from countries such as Argentina, France and Iran as we come closer to home, to Turkish women in film. Screenings include: Lina Wertmüller’s Swept Away , Catherine Breillat’s Fat Girl , Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding , Rebecca Miller’s Personal Velocity, Niki Caro’s Whale Rider and Sally Potter’s Orlando.

This is an interdisciplinary course exploring the construction of Masculinities. We will look at ‘masculinity’ as a fluid (not fixed) mechanism for survival; as a ‘mask’ or ‘performance’. We begin with a general look at gender as a social phenomenon and examine two theories supporting the notion that gender is, to a large extent, socially constructed across cultures. From there we move to an examination of violent masculinities, media and masculinity, and finally masculinities and relationships (love and friendship). Throughout the course we will be attempting to understand how the development of the masculine gender as a mask or performance can cause personal and social problems. Problems that require a sensitive and thorough investigation of gender construction before any resolution can be attempted.

Gender and Visual Culture This course examines how gender has been a major factor in shaping our approaches and interpretations of visual culture in the past and present societies. It examines a variety of subjects in visual culture which intersect with gender. Examples of how the art and architecture of the past has been shaped by issues such as the gender of patrons, the role of the gaze in art and cinema, the use of space by different genders, and the role of gender in contemporary visual products such as advertising are some of the topics which are covered in this course.

Women’s leadership in politics, profit and nonprofit organizations should be encouraged for societal development. The course focuses on factors facilitating and impeding women’s leadership by reviewing multiple theoretical perspectives, state-of-the-art-research, and workforce practices. Research findings, practices and policies in Türkiye will be compared with those in the developed and developing nations. In addition to lectures, students will participate in designing and implementing projects aiming at empowering women.

This course provides a conceptual framework for understanding inequalities between men and women in the labor market and in the workplace and the gendered division of labor for paid and unpaid work. It also discusses how masculine and feminine identities are constructed in diverse workplaces in the manufacturing and service sectors.

Students will develop an understanding of the family as a social institution and as a context in which individuals develop, make choices, and influence each other. The course will introduce the students to how social scientists understand and study the family. Today’s most pertinent family issues are discussed such as dating, sex, cross-gender relationships, marriage, divorce, parenting, family violence, and family law.

This course focuses on the intersections and interactions between gender, sexuality, genre/style, and cinematic/filmic practice. Through the select case studies ranging from melodrama to documentary, the class is expected to gain a critical insight and to articulate relations between visual media and gendered embodiment, aesthetic form and politics of representation. The module’s focus will be not limited to the classic examples of film history – those in which genre “haunts” gender relations – but expanded to contemporary examples of feminist/queer film and video-art where gender-genre relations are made radically visible via pastiche, parody and generic ambivalence.

Psychology of intimate relationships: The purpose of this course is to introduce student to various aspects of close relationships including marriage, parenting, sexuality etc. The course promotes understanding of self, marriages, and families within the context of cultural and social realities. Because current events are pertinent to family issues, they are often integrated into class content and analyzed from the perspective of individual and family development and functioning within a diverse society. 

Analysis of social change in Türkiye from the late nineteenth century until the present day by reading social science texts together with examples from Turkish literature, especially novels. Focus on families as a key to understanding modernization in Türkiye. Impact of modernization on traditional family structure, the role of the family in nation-building process and the changes in the construction of gender roles in the family.

Investigation of Simone De Beauvoir’s philosophical and literary works’ contribution to feminist theory. Discussion of the current problems women face, such as othering, oppression, discrimination and violations of rights, in terms of the ethical and political aspects of Beauvoir’s philosophy. 

Examination and clarification of critical concepts such as equality, equity, justice, intersectionality, cultural relativism, and rights. Developing the foundational understanding of the centrality of gender equality for human rights in general. Discussion of the contemporary situation of gender equality from an international perspective in the light of the various historical, legal and normative developments for the promotion of  women’s human rights.

This undergraduate seminar critically explores a variety of political, social, and economic processes through a gendered perspective. The class revisits issues of politics and political economy by focusing on various inequalities that govern the lives of men and women in their everyday lives. The course material is organized so that we discuss themes such as, but not limited to, nation-state formation, citizenship, labor, and development.

Examining human sexuality from psychological, cognitive, biological, behavioral, social, and historical perspectives by incorporating issues of diversity.  A developmental approach across life span. Topics including development of sexuality, male and female sexual anatomy and physiology, values about sex, love and intimacy, sexually transmitted diseases, patterns of sexual response, sexual problems, sexual orientation, sexual coercion, and other social issues in sexuality.

Study of literary and philosophical texts on friendship from different centuries and cultures. Examination of themes such as the history of friendship, the impact of friendships on gender relations, and friendships on social media.

Credits: 3

Examination of the human body as a biological as well as social unit. Investigation of how society assigns meanings to the body as well as how individuals claim visibility and social participation through the body. Special attention to the social parameters and ideologies that serve to differentiate, categorize, and classify our bodies, such as race, gender, sexuality, nationalism, and capitalism. Interdisciplinary perspectives to understanding the power dynamics inherent in the social and biological formations of bodies.

Principle of equality – heteronormativity and legal effects of patriarchy (gender stereotypes, gendered socialization, sexual orientation) – gender studies vs. men’s/women’s studies – the international framework on gender equality – political thought and gender equality – the principle of gender equality in contemporary constitutionalism – constitutional gender equality (civil, political, and economic rights) – gender quality and family issues (parental leave, father’s rights, marriage, divorce, child-caring) – gender-based discrimination and education – gender-based discrimination and reproductive rights – gender equality and intersectionality (race, religion)