TURK-351 Introduction to Turkish Culture

Faculty:

Onder, Sylvia

This 3 credit “over-under” seminar course uses a wide range of genres (written in or translated into English) to examine Turkish culture. Readings in history, ethnography, fiction, memoirs, travel writing, and folk literature are used. Students will be asked to evaluate both the content and the rhetorical style and basis of authority used in the different genres. In this seminar-style class, students are expected to be able to discuss the assigned readings in class. There will be four one-page response papers to selected readings. Students must discuss the topic of the research paper with the professor by mid October, and papers will be due the first day of the last week of class. Each student will present his or her research paper topic to the class.

Topics to be covered include:
What is Culture?
Origins of the Turks
Nomadic Culture and Oral Transmission of Knowledge
Ottoman Imperial and Everyday Culture
Sufism
Cultural Transformations from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic of Turkey
Turkish Nationalism
Turkey and Europe
Islamism and Secularism in Contemporary Turkey

Students will have the chance to choose research topics such as:
Gender in Turkish Culture
Modernity and Cultural Commodification
Migration and Turks in Europe
Turkish Literature
Material Culture
Music
Indigenous Health-Care Systems
Rural-to-Urban Migration
Minority Issues
Turkey and the Caucasus
Turkey and Central Asia
Environmental Issues
Ethnography in and about Turkey

Grading:
Class Participation: 35%
Short Response Papers: 20%
Research Paper (10-15 pages for undergrads; 15-20 pages for grads): 40%
In-Class Presentation of Research Paper: 5%

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: None

Other academic years
There is information about this course number in other academic years:

• 2004-2005 Fall and Spring
• 2006-2007 Fall and Spring
• 2009-2010 Fall and Spring
• 2011-2012 Fall and Spring
• 2012-2013 Fall and Spring
• 2013-2014 Fall and Spring

More information
Look for this course in the schedule of classes.

The academic department web site for this program may provide other details about this course.