Humanity and Society II (SPS 102)

2020 Summer
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Social & Political Sci.(SPS)
3
5/6 ECTS (for students admitted in the 2013-14 Academic Year or following years)
Mehmet Kuru mkuru@sabanciuniv.edu,
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English
Undergraduate
SPS101
Formal lecture
Communicative
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CONTENT

This course provides an introduction to the study of the human experience in the modern world. It brings together the history of major milestones in the modern era, from the mid-18th century to the 21st century, and prominent theoretical frameworks that are employed to analyze this transformative period in the history of our species. SPS 102 is designed to be a follow-up of SPS 101 and thus compliments the content and the academic skills that were previously introduced. There are three central aims of this course. The first aim is to present our students the challenges and potential in the scientific study of human experience through the introduction of various analytical tools from disciplines such as history, sociology, anthropology and economics. The second aim is to provide the intellectual foundations that would help our students to understand the dynamics of the contemporary world around them by historicizing its relatively recent formation in the history of humanity. Finally, this course also aims to emphasize the structured use of language, in this case English, for the purposes of knowledge production and critical analysis. It accepts the role of language in humanities and social sciences as important as calculus is for physics. To that end, it pays special attention to critical reading and writing as evident from the course structure.

OBJECTIVE

Introduce the students to fundamental aspects and concepts of modernity.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

  • 1.Describe of the specificity of the Enlightenment as a historical event and its impact. 2. Identify the specificity of modern forms of state building 3. Relate to the ways in which modern ideologies of nationalism and fascism have affected human societies 4. Identify key concepts related to the working of capitalism and of the economic sphere and the ways in which class and gender inequalities come to impact our daily lives

PROGRAMME OUTCOMES


1. Understand the world, their country, their society, as well as themselves and have awareness of ethical problems, social rights, values and responsibility to the self and to others. 5

2. Understand different disciplines from natural and social sciences to mathematics and art, and develop interdisciplinary approaches in thinking and practice. 5

3. Think critically, follow innovations and developments in science and technology, demonstrate personal and organizational entrepreneurship and engage in life-long learning in various subjects; have the ability to continue to educate him/herself. 2

4. Communicate effectively in Turkish and English by oral, written, graphical and technological means. 3

5. Take individual and team responsibility, function effectively and respectively as an individual and a member or a leader of a team; and have the skills to work effectively in multi-disciplinary teams. 2


1. Possess sufficient knowledge of mathematics, science and program-specific engineering topics; use theoretical and applied knowledge of these areas in complex engineering problems. 1

2. Identify, define, formulate and solve complex engineering problems; choose and apply suitable analysis and modeling methods for this purpose. 1

3. Develop, choose and use modern techniques and tools that are needed for analysis and solution of complex problems faced in engineering applications; possess knowledge of standards used in engineering applications; use information technologies effectively. 1

4. Have the ability to design a complex system, process, instrument or a product under realistic constraints and conditions, with the goal of fulfilling specified needs; apply modern design techniques for this purpose. 1

5. Design and conduct experiments, collect data, analyze and interpret the results to investigate complex engineering problems or program-specific research areas. 1

6. Possess knowledge of business practices such as project management, risk management and change management; awareness on innovation; knowledge of sustainable development. 2

7. Possess knowledge of impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, health and societal context; knowledge of contemporary issues; awareness on legal outcomes of engineering solutions; knowledge of behavior according to ethical principles, understanding of professional and ethical responsibility. 2

8. Have the ability to write effective reports and comprehend written reports, prepare design and production reports, make effective presentations, and give and receive clear and intelligible instructions. 5


1. Develop knowledge of theories, concepts, and research methods in humanities and social sciences. 5

2. Assess how global, national and regional developments affect society. 5

3. Know how to access and evaluate data from various sources of information. 5

ASSESSMENT METHODS and CRITERIA

  Percentage (%)
Final 35
Midterm 35
Team Member Evaluation 30

RECOMENDED or REQUIRED READINGS

Readings

See the Course Outline.