Gender, Power and Social Transformation
Critical Approaches from Turkey and Beyond
Overview
Gender inequality continues to manifest itself across a wide range of discourse and practices, from education policies to state administration, from childcare systems to urban design, and from sporting events to the development of military technology. The intersectional nature of discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, belief, disability, and age further highlights the layered and persistent structure of hetero-patriarchal domination. In response to this situation, grassroots organizations, civil society actors, and solidarity networks operating in different socio-political contexts are envisioning and implementing a more just and inclusive social transformation by developing peaceful, creative, and collective strategies. Within this framework, this course brings together selected gender-focused academic research, civil society initiatives, activist interventions, and artistic practices from Turkey and beyond. It aims to critically analyze the rise of anti-gender ideologies on a global scale, opening up space to explore the possibilities of resistance, resilience, and transformative politics in different cultural and political contexts.
Learning Outcomes
Course Outline
Instructor
Sema Semih
Sema Semih is a cultural worker with a background in philosophy and cultural studies, currently based in Berlin, as an Off University fellow. They develop and lead gender-focused programs across academic institutions and civil society organizations. Their work centers on gender-sensitive approaches, trauma-informed facilitation, and socially engaged art—bringing together research, education, and creative expression to cultivate inclusive, reflective, and transformative spaces.
Certification
This course is hosted by Marburg University, Center for Conflict Studies and certified with 6 ECTS upon successful completion.
Please check the course requirements from the course syllabus and inform your instructor(s) about your request to receive a certificate for this course.
You will find the full syllabus on Moodle course page.
At the end of the semester, the instructors will inform the learning designer about your request and grade. The certificate will be prepared with the university secretariat and it may take up to 8 weeks.
Registration
Our courses are held on a digital learning platform, Moodle. Before you create your account on Moodle, we have some notes for your and others’ digital security.
- When you register, you can use a nickname. Nicknames with offensive, racist or sexist undertones will not be accepted.
- Communication outside of the platform is not private. It is a solidarity action with people who would like to stay anonymous for different reasons. Please use our secure platform to communicate with others and respect their choices of communication channels.
- We aim to create an inclusive learning environment with our participants and educate ourselves in a more inclusive language. Be eager and tolerant to learn from each other and challenge any discriminating language. You can have a look at it here.
Creating a new account and registering to a course on Moodle
1. The link will take you to the Off University Moodle homepage.
2. Sayfanın sağ üst tarafındaki “Oturum Aç” düğmesine tıklayın.
Off University Moodle adresinde bir hesabınız varsa lütfen giriş yapın ve 7. adımdan devam edin.
3. Scroll down to see “Create new account” and click the button.
4. Please fill in the fields marked as *required.
You can use false information to protect your identity and increase your safety. You can enter a nickname, a false email address that resembles the format, such as name@example.org etc. Please note down your user name and password in a safe place.
5. Once you created your account, please wait until the next working day to continue.
Your account needs activation which will be done by Off University. We will need some time to activate your account. This can take up to 24 hours on weekdays and longer on weekends.
6. Please login to check whether your account it active. Once you can login, you will find the available courses on the home page of Moodle and will be able to register by clicking the course title.
7. You can now discover the course page. The first item on the page, General, contains the syllabus and the announcements. Please follow these announcements to stay up to date about your course.
Course Details
Duration
14.10.25 – 13.02.26
Time
Tuesdays, 15:00 CET
Credits
6 ECTS
Language
Turkish
Supported by:
Marburg University, Center for Conflict Studies
Registration
