Sociology of Law

This seminar explores central themes in contemporary social-scientific scholarship on law, law-oriented behavior, and legal institutions. The perspective is fundamentally sociological, with attention to such core sociological concerns as: social norms; law, power and culture; and law and social change. In addition, the course examines selected themes from the interdisciplinary "Law and Society" movement, for example: the psychology of justice; the anthropology of disputing; the economics of rulemaking; and the institutional politics of courts and legislatures. Other topics may include: law and inequality; law and social movements; law and globalization; the legal profession; legal consciousness; and the "Rule of Law."