Teaching Professor Robert O. Keel

• E-mail: rok@umsl.edu (I'll try to reply to contacts within 24 hours--except on weekends)
• Office: 712 SSB Tower
• Phone: 516-6052
• Prof. Keel 's Homepage: http://www.umsl.edu/~keelr
• Class Homepage: http://www.umsl.edu/~keelr/3210/3210index.html
• Sociology Department Homepage: http://www.umsl.edu/~sociolog/
• Curriculum Vitae
• Office Hours: Monday: 2:15-3:00, Tuesday and Thursday 11:15 AM-12:00 PM and 2:15-3:00 PM. Please call or e-mail in advance to insure my availability. If these specific times do not work for you, contact me and we can try to arrange an appointment at another time. Try "BB-IM," too.

Important Notes (Please follow the links provided to access detailed information on the various course elements and resources):

• Please do not print this document or other course materials unless absolutely necessary. All documents available online are meant to be used online and are accessible from any internet location--save paper, save a tree.
• This is a "blended class" involving significant amounts of online and (relatively) independent work. There are students from a variety of “sections” enrolled in this course: day (SOC3210-001 and Anthro3291-002) and online (SOC3210-002 and Anthro3291-003). The REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL STUDENTS are exactly the same--only the mode through which you access the class presentations may vary.
• MyGateway Class Pages: http://mygateway.umsl.edu. Here you will find a link to the class MyGateway site, all class information, communication tools, assignments, and grades. See below for information on logging onto and using the MyGateway site, as well as an outline of the contents in the class MyGateway site.
• Minimum Technology Requirements (especially, but not just for online students) and a variety of useful technology tutorials.
• Course Tools and Campus Computing Resources
• "roksworld" (username: student, password: umsl): for accessing various course documents, readings, and websites.
• Prof. Keel's FAQ Page.
• Please follow the rules of netiquette in the online environment and be respectful of others in all forms of communication.

Teaching Assistants

Books:

1. Required: Ritzer, George. 2013. Contemporary Social Theory and its Classical Roots, 4th edition. St. Louis: McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 978-0-07-802678-2.
2. Recommended (but not required): Farganis, James. 2014. Readings in Social Theory, 7th edition. St. Louis: McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 978-0-07-802684-3 (Many of these reading, and more, will be available online)
3. There will a variety of "Virtual Handouts" (WWW sites, online essays, and cyber-reports to read and explore) assigned as additional readings throughout the semester. Accessing some of these handouts may require that you log on to "roksworld" web site (username: student, password: umsl).

Course Description, Objectives, Learning Goals, and Expectations:

This course is an introduction to sociological theory. It provides an overview of both classical and contemporary sociological theory. Special emphasis is given to the historical context and the philosophical background out of which sociological theory emerges as well as the individuals responsible for identifying and developing the core concepts and perspectives which serve as the basis for sociological theorizing.

The main objective of this course is help students understand the relevance of sociological theory to their everyday lives--to place personal experiences into the broader perspective of sociological understanding, and to understand the human being as a truly social being.

Specifically, students will be expected to:

• To become familiar with the major themes of classical sociological theory and understand how contemporary sociological theory builds on these themes.
• To analyze each of the major theoretical traditions in terms of its basic assumptions, key concepts, main arguments and major representatives.
• To critically evaluate each of the major theoretical traditions in terms of their interpretive and explanatory strengths and weaknesses.
• To apply key concepts and main ideas of sociological theory to a practical analysis of the everyday life in contemporary society.
• To take into account the socio-historical background associated with the growth of particular social theoretical traditions.
• To encourage critical thinking about individual and collective behavior.
• To demystify sociological theory and develop an understanding of theory as the basis of sociological inquiry.
• Students are expected to consider each of these objectives, goals, and expectations when contributing to class discussions and in completing their written work. The understanding and application of the assigned readings and class discussion is a necessary part in earning a top grade in this course.

Assignments, Readings and Course Schedule

Course Requirements (click any requirement for details):

1. Syllabus quiz: due by Friday, September 4, 2015, 5:00 PM. (15 points possible)
2. Attendance/SOL (1 point per class session/2 SOLs per week, 30 classes and 15 weeks, 60 points total). Introductory message due by Monday, August 31, 2015, 12:00 Noon.
   1. The live class is held in 449 SSB on Mondays and Wednesdays from 12:30-1:45 PM, August 24-December 9, 2015.
   2. Please note: students whose schedules do not allow them to attend the live class sessions (face-to-face or via Collaborate) simply need to follow the instructions for viewing the archived class recordings.
3. Optional Online and In-Class Participation (not required, however up to 20 points possible)
4. Sociological Theory Wiki Project: (260 points possible)
5. 2 Tests: (165 points possible)
6. Students who submit work past a due date are subject to penalties, point deductions, or not having their work accepted for grading.

Grading Policies (see especially: 72 hour rule, the academic integrity statement and Turnitin information, withdrawal, and extra-credit guidelines).

ANY STUDENT WHO HAS A DISABILITY WHICH WOULD MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO COMPLETE COURSE ASSIGNMENTS OR TESTS AS OUTLINED IN THIS SYLLABUS: PLEASE MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH ME IMMEDIATELY SO THAT I CAN EITHER ARRANGE FOR APPROPRIATE ASSISTANCE OR DESIGN AN ALTERNATIVE PROCEDURE TO EVALUATE YOUR WORK. FOR YOUR INFORMATION, THE OFFICE OF DISABILITY ACCESS SERVICES IS LOCATED IN 144 MSC; PHONE: 516-6554.

THIS SYLLABUS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT THE DISCRETION OF THE INSTRUCTOR TO ACCOMMODATE INSTRUCTIONAL AND/OR STUDENT NEEDS.

Unless otherwise noted, all pages within the web site http://www.umsl.edu/~keelr/ ©2015 by Robert O. Keel.
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