Information Package / Course Catalogue
Religion and Social Change
Course Code: İLH363
Course Type: Area Elective
Couse Group: First Cycle (Bachelor's Degree)
Education Language: Turkish
Work Placement: N/A
Theory: 2
Prt.: 0
Credit: 2
Lab: 0
ECTS: 4
Objectives of the Course

The aim of the course is to reveal the change in societies from a sociological perspective and the relationship between this change and religion, to reveal how and how the change processes take place, to reveal the positive and negative role of religion in the change processes.

Course Content

The nature of change, processes, theoretical approaches to these processes, industrialization, the relationship between religion and social change, social change and religiosity, the status of religion in the face of modernism and postmodernism, etc. constitute the content of the course.

Name of Lecturer(s)
Learning Outcomes
1.To be informed about the nature, process and factors of social change; to be able to explain social change with the literature of sociology;
2.Understands sociological theories explaining social change; can explain the same case study within the framework of different theories;
3.Understands the increase or decrease in religiosity with social change, especially industrialization and urbanization, taking into account the examples in the Islamic and western world and historical periods;
4.Students will be informed about the processes of modernization and secularization and their interpretive, philosophical and social effects on religion;
5.Have knowledge about the relationship between social change and religion in Turkey.
Recommended or Required Reading
1.Richard P. Appelbaum, Toplumsal Değişim Kuramları, çev. Türker Alkan Türkiye İş Bankası Yayınları Ankara, 1970.
2.Nur Vergin, “Social Change and the Increase in Religiosity,” Toplum ve Bilim, 1985.
3.Nilüfer Göle, Hybrid Patterns: On Islam and Modernity, Istanbul, 2000.
4.John Esposito, Johndon Donohue, Islam in the Process of Change, Trans. A.Y. Aydogan, A. Ünlü, Istanbul, 1991.
5.Lütfi Sunar (edit) Social Change in Turkey, Nobel Publications, 2014.
6.Ejder Okumuş, Social Change and Religion, İnsan Publications 2019
Weekly Detailed Course Contents
Week 1 - Theoretical
Social structure, development and change of social institutions and groups
Week 2 - Theoretical
Basic concepts of social change
Week 3 - Theoretical
The nature and process of social change
Week 4 - Theoretical
Theories of social change: Evolutionary Theory
Week 5 - Theoretical
Theories of social change: Equilibrium Theory
Week 6 - Theoretical
Theories of social change: Conflict Theory, Rise and Fall Theory
Week 7 - Theoretical
The approach of religion (Islam) to theories of social change
Week 8 - Theoretical
Social change and religious life (religiosity)
Week 9 - Theoretical
Social change and religion relations in general
Week 10 - Theoretical
Culture-religion relationship in the context of social change
Week 11 - Theoretical
The status of religion in the face of modernism and post-modernism
Week 12 - Theoretical
Secularization theory 1
Week 13 - Theoretical
Secularization theory 2
Week 14 - Theoretical
General Evaluation
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Type of AssessmentCountPercent
Attending Lectures1%5
Verbal Examination1%5
Midterm Examination1%30
Final Examination1%60
Workload Calculation
ActivitiesCountPreparationTimeTotal Work Load (hours)
Lecture - Theory144284
Assignment1224
Seminar1224
Midterm Examination1224
Final Examination1224
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
PÇ-11
PÇ-12
PÇ-13
PÇ-14
PÇ-15
PÇ-16
PÇ-17
PÇ-18
PÇ-19
PÇ-20
OÇ-1
3
4
4
4
3
3
4
OÇ-2
3
4
4
4
3
3
4
OÇ-3
3
4
4
4
3
3
4
OÇ-4
3
4
4
4
3
3
4
OÇ-5
3
4
4
4
3
3
4
Adnan Menderes University - Information Package / Course Catalogue
2026