The aim of this course is to examine organizations as social institutions by analyzing their historical evolution, operational logics, and interactions with society through a sociological lens. The course introduces students to classical and contemporary organizational theories and equips them with analytical tools to understand internal dynamics and external relationships of organizations within the framework of concepts such as rationality, bureaucracy, power, authority, culture, gender, control, resistance, and digitalization. Additionally, the course aims to foster students' critical thinking and multi-level analytical skills by exploring the role of organizations in reproducing or transforming social inequalities.

The course begins by providing a theoretical foundation for understanding the position of organizations within broader social structures. It explores key theoretical perspectives including Weber’s theory of bureaucracy, Taylorist management principles, structural-functionalist models, critical approaches, institutional theory, and neo-institutionalism. Topics such as organizational culture, gender roles, power dynamics, emotional labor, control and resistance, organizational environment, and digital transformation are covered in depth. Through case studies and examples from public, private, and civil society organizations, students will conduct comparative analyses of different organizational types. The course also encourages students to develop research skills in organizational observation, case analysis, and applied organizational sociology.