SOC 218(F) Law and Modern Society
This class is designed to introduce students to the field of law and society. The
course begins with an overview of the various theoretical perspectives on the
subject, including Durkheimian, Marxist, Foucauldian, and Weberian analyses
of law and society; as well as the work of those following in the different
theoretical schools established by these scholars. Informed by the theoretical
overview, the next part of the course considers empirical research in selected
areas of law, including tort law, criminal trial procedures, abortion and divorce
law, "community justice," and the adjudication of drug offenses. Recognizing
that understandings of our own legal practices are enlightened through comparisons to other legal systems, the second half of the course is primarily historical/comparative in focus. In this section, through an exploration of several case
studies, American legal processes and habits are compared with related legal
practices in such places as England, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, Germany, Norway, and Canada.
Format: lecture/discussion. Requirements: a short paper and midterm and final
exams.