COMPARATIVE CIVILIZATION STUDIES PROGRAMME COURSE DESCRIPTION

Code	Name of the Course Unit	Semester	In-Class Hours (T+P)	Credit	ECTS Credit
IMT107	COMPARATIVE CIVILIZATION STUDIES	1	3	3	5

GENERAL INFORMATION
Language of Instruction :	English
Level of the Course Unit :	BACHELOR'S DEGREE, TYY: + 6.Level, EQF-LLL: 6.Level, QF-EHEA: First Cycle
Type of the Course :	Compulsory
Mode of Delivery of the Course Unit	-
Coordinator of the Course Unit	Assist.Prof. GÖRSEV BAFRALI
Instructor(s) of the Course Unit	Assist.Prof. SİMGE SÜBAŞI
Course Prerequisite	No

OBJECTIVES AND CONTENTS
Objectives of the Course Unit:	The course aims to enable students to (1) develop a comprehensive understanding of the concept of civilization and the historical, cultural, social, political, and economic characteristics of major world civilizations; (2) identify and compare the similarities and differences among Indian, Chinese, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Islamic civilizations and examine the historical factors that shaped their development; (3) understand the ways in which wars, migration, trade, and cultural exchange have contributed to interactions and transformations among civilizations; (4) examine the role of religion, language, law, education, political organization, and economic systems in shaping societies and their cultural identities; (5) develop the ability to critically evaluate historical and cultural sources, distinguish between evidence-based interpretations and generalizations, and recognize possible biases or culturally situated perspectives; (6) strengthen critical thinking by comparing different interpretations of civilizations, questioning assumptions and stereotypes, and constructing reasoned arguments based on relevant historical and cultural evidence; (7) develop students’ ability to analyze complex historical and cultural issues from multiple perspectives rather than relying on single or ethnocentric explanations; and (8) apply their knowledge of civilizations and intercultural relations to the analysis of texts, cultural contexts, and intercultural encounters relevant to translation and interpreting.
Contents of the Course Unit:	Students are expected to participate actively and consistently in all course activities. Weekly preparation is a fundamental requirement of the course. Each week, students are required to independently search for and select relevant academic articles, research papers, book chapters, or other scholarly sources related to the topic covered that week, with particular emphasis on peer-reviewed publications available through platforms such as DergiPark, Google Scholar, university databases, and other reliable academic sources. Students must share the selected articles with the class through the designated WhatsApp group sufficiently in advance of the following class so that all students have adequate time to read them. Every student is expected to read all articles shared by their classmates before coming to class, not only the article they personally selected. Classroom sessions will therefore be based on active discussion of the assigned weekly readings, with students expected to contribute questions, observations, comparisons, critical evaluations, and evidence-based interpretations. Students should come to class prepared to explain the main arguments of the readings, identify similarities and differences among the sources, and critically discuss how the readings relate to the civilization(s) examined in that week's topic. Active participation in these discussions, completion of weekly preparation, responsible sharing of academic sources, and respectful engagement with different perspectives are essential course requirements.

KEY LEARNING OUTCOMES OF THE COURSE UNIT (On successful completion of this course unit, students/learners will or will be able to)

Comparative Civilization Studies introduces students to the historical, cultural, social, political, economic, and intellectual development of major world civilizations from a comparative perspective. The course examines the concept of civilization and explores the development and distinctive characteristics of Indian, Chinese, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Islamic civilizations, as well as the interactions among civilizations through wars, migration, trade, cultural exchange, and other forms of contact. Particular attention is given to the ways in which religion, language, law, education, political organization, and economic systems shape civilizations and influence relations among societies. Through the analysis of historical sources, readings, discussions, comparative activities, and student projects, the course encourages students to understand similarities and differences among civilizations while developing an awareness of cultural diversity and historical interconnectedness. As a course offered within Translation and Interpreting Studies, it also aims to provide students with the cultural and historical background necessary for understanding texts, societies, and intercultural encounters in their future professional practice.

WEEKLY COURSE CONTENTS AND STUDY MATERIALS FOR PRELIMINARY & FURTHER STUDY
Week	Preparatory	Topics(Subjects)	Method
1	-	Introduction to the course, the concept of civilization, and the objectives of the course	In-class discussion
2	Complete weekly readings	Review of the course textbook and primary sources; examination of the concept of civilization	In-class discussion
3	Complete weekly readings	Indian and Chinese civilizations	In-class discussion
4	Complete weekly readings	Ancient Greek and Roman civilizations	In-class discussion
5	Complete weekly readings	Source-based research; examination of major historical events and cultural contributions	In-class discussion
6	Complete weekly readings	Islamic Civilization	In-class discussion
7	Review	MIDTERM EXAM	-
8	Complete weekly readings	Cultural and social structures: Religion, language, law, and education	In-class discussion
9	Complete weekly readings	Interactions among civilizations: Wars, migrations, and trade	In-class discussion
10	-	MID-TERM EXAM	-
11	Complete weekly readings	Preparation of a mini-analysis based on an examination of the course sources	In-class discussion
12	Complete weekly readings	Complete the project	In-class discussion
13	Complete weekly readings	Complete the project	In-class discussion
14	Review	Submit the final project and present it	In-class discussion
15	-	FINAL EXAM	-
16	-	FINAL EXAM	-
17	-	FINAL EXAM	-

SOURCE MATERIALS & RECOMMENDED READING

Blaut, J. M. (1993). The Colonizer’s Model of the World. New York: Guilford Press. Mann, M. (2012). The Sources of Social Power, Vol. 1–4. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Dirks, N. B., Eley, G., & Ortner, S. B. (2000). Culture/Power/History: A Reader in Contemporary Social Theory. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Makaleler ve dergiler: Journal of World History (https://www.jstor.org/journal/jworldhistory ) Comparative Civilizations Review (https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/ccr/ ) Dergipark’ta uygarlık ve kültür tarihine dair makaleler (https://dergipark.org.tr/ )

ASSESSMENT
Assessment & Grading of In-Term Activities	Number of Activities	Degree of Contribution (%)	Description	Examination Method
Mid-Term Exam	1	50		Classical Exam
Final Exam	1	50		Classical Exam
TOTAL	2	100

Level of Contribution
0	1	2	3	4	5

KNOWLEDGE
Theoretical
	Programme Learning Outcomes	Level of Contribution
		0	1	2	3	4	5
1	Defines current information in the field by associating it with grammatical and semantic structures of source and target languages.					4

KNOWLEDGE
Factual
	Programme Learning Outcomes	Level of Contribution
		0	1	2	3	4	5
1	Organizes teamwork in the stages of collecting, interpreting, announcing and applying data related to the field.						5

SKILLS
Cognitive
	Programme Learning Outcomes	Level of Contribution
		0	1	2	3	4	5
1	Apply the advanced conceptual, theoretical and applied knowledge gained in the field of English Translation and Interpreting in the professional field.						5
2	Interprets grammatical and semantic structures of source, target languages and a third language.						5

SKILLS
Practical
	Programme Learning Outcomes	Level of Contribution
		0	1	2	3	4	5
1	Analyzes written and oral texts in the source language with cultural and historical approaches.						5
2	Evaluates relevant resources to improve the quality of text analysis at all stages of the translation process.						5

OCCUPATIONAL
Autonomy & Responsibility
	Programme Learning Outcomes	Level of Contribution
		0	1	2	3	4	5
1	Independently concludes advanced text analyzes and translations related to the field.						5
2	Expresses ideas orally and in writing in interdisciplinary studies with different fields of expertise.						5

OCCUPATIONAL
Learning to Learn
	Programme Learning Outcomes	Level of Contribution
		0	1	2	3	4	5
1	Gains basic knowledge about all stages of the translation process.						5
2	Uses lifelong learning principles in professional development.						5

OCCUPATIONAL
Communication & Social
	Programme Learning Outcomes	Level of Contribution
		0	1	2	3	4	5
1	Discusses thoughts on written and oral translations of source and target languages ​​with experts.						5
2	Participates in trainings related to field at international level.						5

OCCUPATIONAL
Occupational and/or Vocational
	Programme Learning Outcomes	Level of Contribution
		0	1	2	3	4	5
1	Uses the knowledge and skills gained during his undergraduate education in business life.						5
2	Solves various translation problems encountered in the field.						5
3	Applies knowledge of terminology, principles and legislation related to the field with the awareness of its legal and ethical responsibilities.						5
4	Places the awareness of the translator's social role and professional ethics in the team members.						5

WORKLOAD & ECTS CREDITS OF THE COURSE UNIT
Workload for Learning & Teaching Activities
Type of the Learning Activites	Learning Activities (# of week)	Duration (hours, h)	Workload (h)
Lecture & In-Class Activities	14	3	42
Preliminary & Further Study	14	3	42
Land Surveying	0	0	0
Group Work	0	0	0
Laboratory	0	0	0
Reading	1	3	3
Assignment (Homework)	1	3	3
Project Work	0	0	0
Seminar	0	0	0
Internship	0	0	0
Technical Visit	0	0	0
Web Based Learning	0	0	0
Implementation/Application/Practice	14	2	28
Practice at a workplace	0	0	0
Occupational Activity	0	0	0
Social Activity	0	0	0
Thesis Work	0	0	0
Field Study	0	0	0
Report Writing	0	0	0
Final Exam	3	1	3
Preparation for the Final Exam	2	1	2
Mid-Term Exam	2	2	4
Preparation for the Mid-Term Exam	0	0	0
Short Exam	0	0	0
Preparation for the Short Exam	0	0	0
TOTAL	51	0	127