COURSE INFORMATION
Course Title: POLITICS, RELIGION AND GLOBALIZATION
Code Course Type Regular Semester Theory Practice Lab Credits ECTS
PIR 433 B 1 3 0 0 3 7.5
Academic staff member responsible for the design of the course syllabus (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) NA
Lecturer (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours: Salih Özcan
Second Lecturer(s) (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours: NA
Teaching Assistant(s) and Office Hours: NA
Language: English
Compulsory/Elective: Elective
Classroom and Meeting Time: E 210
Course Description: This is a master level course. This course introduces the student to the many-sided relationship between religion and politics in a globalizing world. In this course, the focus is on the overlap, interplay, and tensions between religion and politics across cultures, states and regions and the impact of globalization on religion-politics relationship from a theoretical perspective. Also the political implications of this relationship in a globalizing world will be investigated. In this course student will look at a range of cases where religion and politics intersect in the contemporary global world and consider how institutional structures, political culture, religious beliefs, and religious practices interact with each other. Through this course student will be encouraged to think critically of globalization and its impact on the interaction among religion and politics.
Course Objectives: The student shall: - evaluate key aspects of globalization and the role of religion in contemporary politics and society. - examine theories of religion and globalization. - apply theoretical knowledge to critically analyze the interplay between religion and global processes. - research and critically reflect on the impact of religion on globalization, and vice versa, from multiple perspectives by exploring the conditions, forces and characteristics of structural changes occurring as a result of the intensification of political, cultural and economic transactions across the world. - assess the involvement of religious organizations and agencies in global security and development initiatives (such as poverty alleviation, community reconciliation and disaster risk reduction) and reflect on their capacity to address these issues.
COURSE OUTLINE
Week Topics
1 Class introduction, syllabus and requirements
2 Core Concepts: Religion, Culture, Identity, Globalization, Secularization, and Pluralism
3 Religion as Identity and Contestation
4 Culture and Religious in Global Politics
5 Religious Organizations and Institutions in Global World
6 Religion, Law and Human Rights
7 Religious Actors and Transnational Justice
8 Midterm exam
9 Building Sustainable Peace: The roles of Local and Transnational Religious Actors
10 Religion and Global Development
11 Peaceful Movements in the Muslim World and Religious Extremism
12 Religious Resurgence, Conflict and the Transformation of Boundaries
13 Religious opposition to Globalization
14 Globalization and Religion: The Cases of Japan and Korea (Or Two Other Case Countries)
Prerequisite(s): N/A
Textbook: Beyer, P., & Beaman, L. (Eds.). (2007). Religion, Globalization and Culture. Leiden: Brill Banchoff, T. (Ed.). (2008). Religious Pluralism, Globalization, and World Politics, Oxford University Press. Pippa Norris and Ronald Inglehart (2011), Sacred and Secular: Religion and Politics Worldwide 2nd Edition, Cambridge University Press. Jan-Erik Lane and Hamadi Redissi (2009), Religion and Politics: Islam and Muslim Civilization, Ashgate Erin K. Wilson (2012) After Secularism: Rethinking Religion in Global Politics, Palgrave Macmillan UK.
Other References: Dyrmishi, A., & Hallunaj, M. (n.d.). Integrity Building of the Albanian Public Service. Institute for Democracy and Mediation. Friedrich- Ebert- Stiftung. Keta, E. (2013). Në kërkim të një Modeli për Administrimin Publik në Shqipëri (Searching for a Public Administration Model in Albania). Durres Kraja, G. (2011, July). Job Security and Performance: Case Study of the Albanian Public Administration. Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 4(2). Kraja, G. (2015, July). Motivation and performance: A case study of the Albanian public administration. International Journal of Economics, Commerce and Management , III(7). Walter Kickert (Ed.), The Study of Public Management in Europe and the US, Routledge, 2008 Robert D. Lee (2013), Religion and Politics in the Middle East: Identity, Ideology, Institutions, and Attitudes, Westview Press. Kenneth D. Wald and Allison Calhoun-Brown (2011) Religion and politics in the United States 6th ed. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. Ivan Strenski (2010) Why politics can’t be freed from religion, Wiley-Blackwell. Thomas Banchoff and Robert Wuthnow (Eds.) (2011), Religion and the Global Politics of Human Rights, Oxford University Press Roberts, A. (1999). NATO's 'Humanitarian War' over Kosovo. The International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Laboratory Work: N/A
Computer Usage: N/A
Others: No
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES
1 At the end of the course, students should be able to learn about the Global Politics including the core concepts like Religion, Culture, Identity, Globalization, Secularization, and Pluralism.
2 To develop an understanding of the relation among Politics, Religion and Globalization
3 To gain knowledge of the various “driving factors” of international politics and policy including the political culture and religion culture in different countries affected by the globalization.
4 To understand how various cultural perspectives, shape individual group, and country orientations toward international political issues.
COURSE CONTRIBUTION TO... PROGRAM COMPETENCIES
(Blank : no contribution, 1: least contribution ... 5: highest contribution)
No Program Competencies Cont.
Master of Science in Political Science and International Relations Program
1 Having and using advanced knowledge and comprehension supported by textbooks including actual knowledge in political sciences and international relations literature, materials and the other scientific resources. 5
2 Analyzing data, ideas and concepts of current political issues and international relations, determining complex events and topics, making discussions and developing new suggestions in accordance with researches. 5
3 Having knowledge and thought about actual topics and problems together with their historical, social and cultural aspects. 5
4 Introducing those who are interested in politics and international events with the topics of Political Science and IR and teaching clearly the problems and the types of solutions. 4
5 Improving skills of working together with the main social science disciplines and other disciplines which are related to Political Science and International Relations. 4
6 Improving critical thinking and skills in making research independently. 4
7 Developing solutions about the problems and conflicts which are common in national and international arena. 5
8 Improving skills for leadership and research and analyze capacity of those who is responsible with national and international ones. 5
9 Knowing any foreign language enough to communicate with colleagues and understand actual researches and articles. 1
10 Gaining IT skills to use computer and technology) in order to reach actual knowledge. 1
11 Gaining skills to follow societal, scientific and ethic values during collecting, interpreting, conducting of data related to social and political developments. 3
12 Having consciousness about human rights and environment. 4
13 Gaining the skills to follow actual developments and pursue long-life learning. 4
COURSE EVALUATION METHOD
Method Quantity Percentage
Midterm Exam(s)
1
20
Project
1
30
Final Exam
1
50
Total Percent: 100%
ECTS (ALLOCATED BASED ON STUDENT WORKLOAD)
Activities Quantity Duration(Hours) Total Workload(Hours)
Course Duration (Including the exam week: 16x Total course hours) 16 3 48
Hours for off-the-classroom study (Pre-study, practice) 16 2 32
Mid-terms 1 15 15
Assignments 1 20 20
Final examination 1 35 35
Other 1 37.5 37.5
Total Work Load:
187.5
Total Work Load/25(h):
7.5
ECTS Credit of the Course:
7.5