The aim of this course is to demonstrate that art constitutes an important means of understanding and interpreting social phenomena, and to examine how working life is represented through artistic forms. Within this scope, the course focuses on representations of work, labor, workers, organizations, alienation, class, occupations, and everyday working experiences in different art forms such as painting, cinema, and novels. The course aims to help students evaluate artistic works not only as aesthetic products but also as social and cultural texts that contribute to a deeper understanding of working life.

The course begins with discussions on the concept of art, the social functions of art, and the notion of representation. Subsequently, representations of working life in visual arts are examined, with particular emphasis on how labor, production, and work are portrayed in painting. In the following weeks, selected films are analyzed in terms of working life, employment relationships, organizations, occupations, labor processes, and employee experiences. In the final part of the course, representations of work and labor in novels and literary texts are explored, and the relationship between work, labor, and social life is discussed through written narratives. Throughout the course, students are encouraged to understand the multidimensional nature of working life through different artistic representations.