ADM5184 IDEAS AND POLITICS
| Course Code: | 3105184 |
| METU Credit (Theoretical-Laboratory hours/week): | 3 (3.00 - 0.00) |
| ECTS Credit: | 8.0 |
| Department: | Political Science and Public Adm. |
| Language of Instruction: | English |
| Level of Study: | Graduate |
| Course Coordinator: | Prof.Dr. KÜRŞAD ERTUĞRUL |
| Offered Semester: | Fall or Spring Semesters. |
Course Objectives
The students are expected to acquire the following knowledge, skills and competencies through the course:
1) Comprehensive knowledge of the social and political theories of structure-agency relationship
2) Questioning the limitations of structuralist tendencies in the theoretical field
3) Exercising in the social and political theory towards overcoming the attested limits
4) Creative and critical interpretation of the theories towards new syntheses
Course Content
This course aims to follow the philosophical and theoretical attempts that suggested or have been interpreted as to provide an ontological status to politics. In these attempts the problematic of the `dialectical` relationship between `structure` and `agency` have been postulated in various ways while the ideational, discursive and reflective capabilities of `the subjects` have been attributed a constitutive role regarding the construction of `reality`. The recent constructivist `turn` especially in the fields of comparative politics and international politics has reflected the operationalisation of these perspectives in the social sciences with a growing body of empirical works. Thouhout the classes a critical engagement with `political ontology` and political studies that take `the ideas` as their basis will be promoted.
Course Learning Outcomes
Studets, at the end of the course, will be able to;
1) use the concepts of structure, agency and action in a theoretically informed way in their graduate and post-graduate studies
2) understand the basic concerns, limits and orientations in social and political theory
3) create their own perspective with respect to the contemporary issues in the theoretical field
4) interpret and apply critical theory to various cases
Program Outcomes Matrix
| Level of Contribution | |||||
| # | Program Outcomes | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 1 | The ability to interpret and assess the ways in which power is generated and used socially, institutionally, economically and culturally at the local, national and international levels. | ✔ | |||
| 2 | The ability to conduct interdisciplinary studies and research when assessing the social phenomena in the field of Political Science and Public Administration. | ✔ | |||
| 3 | To attain a sound formation regarding the basic topics, like state-society relations, history of political thought, organisational theory, Turkish politics and comparative politics, in the field of Political Science and Public Administration. | ✔ | |||
| 4 | The ability to use the classical and new approaches in social sciences comprehensively and critically. | ✔ | |||
| 5 | To acquire the methodological knowledge and scientific skills which would enhance the capacity to conduct scientific research and produce publications including a M.S. thesis. | ✔ | |||
| 6 | The ability to evaluate the different dimensions of the problems in the policy areas which are studied through the use of different theoretical perspectives and to develop strategies on this basis. | ✔ | |||
| 7 | To uphold ethical principles in science, academy and life. | ✔ | |||
| 8 | To approach the issues by an independent, critical and inventive cognitive orientation, which could also support the professional career development. | ✔ | |||
0: No Contribution 1: Little Contribution 2: Partial Contribution 3: Full Contribution