Information Package / Course Catalogue
Popular Culture, Media and Society
Course Code: ÇGE002
Course Type: Non Departmental Elective
Couse Group: Short Cycle (Associate's Degree)
Education Language: Turkish
Work Placement: N/A
Theory: 2
Prt.: 0
Credit: 2
Lab: 0
ECTS: 4
Objectives of the Course

This course aims to examine popular culture not merely as a form of entertainment, but as a social phenomenon that shapes individuals’ ways of thinking, consumption patterns, identities, and everyday life practices. Throughout the course, students will develop a critical understanding of media content, social media platforms, advertisements, television series, films, and various forms of digital culture. The course encourages students to analyze and evaluate popular cultural products within their social, cultural, and economic contexts, fostering critical media literacy and sociological awareness.

Course Content

Popular Culture, Media Studies, Culture Industry, Consumer Culture, Advertising, Fashion, Social Media, Digital Culture, Influencer Culture, Identity Construction, Body and Representation, Privacy, Visibility, Self-Presentation, Everyday Life.

Name of Lecturer(s)
Learning Outcomes
1.Explains the fundamental concepts related to popular culture and media
2.Evaluates the historical development and social impacts of popular culture.
3.Analyzes media content from a critical perspective.
4.Interprets the relationship between consumer culture and identity formation.
5.Evaluates the effects of social media and digital culture on everyday life.
Recommended or Required Reading
1.Baudrillard, J. (1998). The Consumer Society: Myths and Structures. London: Sage Publications.
2.Ritzer, G. (1993). The McDonaldization of Society. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.
3.Adorno, T. W. (2021). The Culture Industry: Selected Essays on Mass Culture. London: Routledge.
4.Fiske, J. (2010). Understanding Popular Culture. London: Routledge.
Weekly Detailed Course Contents
Week 1 - Theoretical
Introduction: Culture, Media, and Popular Cultur
Week 2 - Theoretical
The Emergence and Historical Development of Popular Culture
Week 3 - Theoretical
Mass Media and Popular Culture
Week 4 - Theoretical
The Culture Industry and Critiques of Media
Week 5 - Theoretical
Consumer Culture and Everyday Life
Week 6 - Theoretical
Advertising, Brands, and Consumer Identities
Week 7 - Intermediate Exam
Midterm Examination
Week 8 - Theoretical
Fashion, the Body, and Beauty Culture
Week 9 - Theoretical
Social Media and Digital Life
Week 11 - Theoretical
Reading Popular Culture through Television Series, Films, and Music
Week 12 - Theoretical
Representations of Gender in Popular Culture
Week 13 - Theoretical
: Privacy, Surveillance, and Digital Society
Week 14 - Theoretical
Contemporary Debates in Popular Culture and Case Analyses
Week 15 - Final Exam
General Evaluation and Student Presentations
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Type of AssessmentCountPercent
Attending Lectures1%5
Assignment1%5
Midterm Examination1%30
Final Examination1%60
Workload Calculation
ActivitiesCountPreparationTimeTotal Work Load (hours)
Lecture - Theory1121426
Assignment1325
Midterm Examination172027
Final Examination1142842
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours)100
Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes
PÇ-1
PÇ-2
PÇ-3
PÇ-4
PÇ-5
PÇ-6
PÇ-7
PÇ-8
PÇ-9
PÇ-10
OÇ-1
2
1
1
OÇ-2
3
1
1
OÇ-3
4
2
2
OÇ-4
4
2
1
OÇ-5
4
2
2
Adnan Menderes University - Information Package / Course Catalogue
2026