BMET 22A55 - Culture and Society: A Cultural Approach to Social Sciences

This course offers a sociological exploration of culture, focusing on how cultural phenomena shape, and are shaped by political, social, and economic structures in society. Designed as a research methodology workshop, it provides students theoretical tools and empirical techniques to study cultural practices, their role in the construction of identity, power, values, and their political implications. The first four sessions will focus on theoretical approaches in cultural sociology and then the following sessions will focus on empirical sociological analyses, allowing students to engage with concrete research examples and methodological applications. Central to the course is addressing themes such as gender, race, social inequality, religion, social movements, social change, and the influence of technology and artificial intelligence through various cultural forms such as art, fashion, dance, performance, protest, language. Students will also explore how contemporary issues, such as digital media and AI, gender and race influence cultural production and politics, reshaping social movements, and how culture both reinforces and challenges social structures.

Ozge DERMAN

Atelier

English

Spring 2025-2026

The course will be validated based on the following grades: o Oral presentation 25% o Fieldwork assignments 15% o Class participation 10% o Research paper 50% Oral presentation Each week, one or two students will present in class a selected text related session's theme. Students will choose their presentation week and text during the first session. Presentations should be supported by visual PowerPoint and must not exceed 15-20 minutes. This exercise aims to strengthen students' ability to synthesize academic literature and engage the class in critical discussion. Presentations should be sent by mail to the teacher 24 hours before class. Fieldwork assignments Students will complete short fieldwork exercises designed to introduce key qualitative research methods in sociology. These assignments include conducting micro-ethnographies in everyday cultural spaces, performing digital ethnography on online platforms, keeping a field diary, and carrying out brief discourse or visual analyses of selected materials. Each task requires students to collect empirical data, apply the methodological tools discussed in class, and produce a short analytical note connecting their observations to relevant sociological concepts within their research papers. Class participation Students are expected to come prepared, complete the required readings, and contribute to discussions, debates, and workshop activities. Participation also includes engaging with peers during presentations, offering constructive feedback, and collaborating during group exercises. Research papers Throughout the semester, students will work on an individual research paper that applies the methodological tools and theoretical perspectives covered in the course to a cultural phenomenon of their choice. The paper should be based on original empirical material and demonstrate a clear sociological research question, methodological approach, and analytical argument. A proposal and preliminary bibliography will be submitted in week 3, with the final paper due at the end of the course. Deadlines for the research paper: o Week 3: A paper proposal of 400-500 words outlining your subject and proving its feasibility. It will notably include the problematic, envisaged methodology, a preliminary hypothesis, and a short bibliography. o Week 8: A detailed outline consisting of a written-out introduction and complete bibliography. You will also be presenting an outline of your paper – the different sections and a sketch of their content. If you have already written out portions of the paper beyond the above required, this can also be included. The main objective of this exercise is to serve as a checkpoint in the process of writing the paper and for you to obtain feedback. o Week 12: The research paper is linked to one or more of the themes touched upon during the course. It will be presented in the form of a mini dissertation (research paper) between 3000-4000 words in length (including references). The paper will include original research conducted by you and must reference both primary and secondary sources in addition to your own analysis. It must include a cover page, an abstract, a table of contents, a list of references. With regards to formatting, the paper needs to be presented with font size 12, 1.5 spacing and normal margins. Please use Harvard style of referencing: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/adminservices/library/learning-support/reference-management/harvard-style/ or https://university.open.ac.uk/library/referencing-and-plagiarism/quick-guide-to-harvardreferencing-cite-them-right.

o Understand core sociological concepts regarding culture's role in society. o Analyze the interplay between culture and social, political, and economic structures. o Critically assess intersections of cultural phenomena with issues like gender, race, religion, power, social inequality, and technology. o Explore transnational cultural exchanges and production and its role in politics and social change. The course combines short lectures on theoretical and methodological concepts, group discussions and debates on assigned readings, including student-led oral presentations of selected texts. It also includes fieldwork assignments, such as micro-ethnographies, digital ethnography, interviews, discourse and visual analysis, alongside a group research project that culminates in a final research paper. These assignments are designed to strengthen methodological, theoretical, academic writing skills and support students in developing sociological inquiry.