SOS 405 - Modernization and Turkish modernization

This course offers an overview of the major theories of modernization, with a heavy emphasis on Turkey and specifically on questions of secularization, democratic consolidation, modernity and political inclusion. First, we will begin by reviewing contending approaches to modernization, both theories of development and political change. We will focus on the major parameters and strategies in Turkish modernization starting from the late Ottoman era to the modern period. We will then spend a great deal of time exploring the process of secularization of the country that radically transformed Turkey’s political landscape since the early 20^th century. We will also use a comparative perspective to analyze other cases from different country cases.

This course aims to acquaint students with the theories of modernization as well as modernity and their reflections on the political history of Turkey from Tanzimat period to modern times.