Contemporary Issues in Turkey

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

This is a seminar class that will focus on improving language skills through the discussion of topics from contemporary Turkey. It will be taught entirely in Turkish making use of texts as well as audio-visual material that describe and analyze major current trends in Turkish culture and politics. The starting point will be recent developments in Turkey, but it would be safe to expect the following themes guiding class discussions: Turkish domestic politics and the approaching elections, Turkish-U.S. relations, perception of the U.S. in Turkey, the media in Turkey and recent dynamics in Turkish culture. Students will be asked to read texts of various lengths, ranging from academic sources, newspaper articles to social media messages. Instruction will be complemented by videos and podcasts on the issues discussed in class. Students will be expected to write short essays on topics of their choice. A major component of the class will be the speaker events where students will be able to interact with leading experts on various aspects of Turkish politics and culture. These events will be conducted entirely in Turkish.