Sociology of Law
(Same as SOC 136/236). This course explores major issues and debates in the sociology of law. Topics include historical perspectives on the origins of law; rationality and legal sanctions; normative decision making and morality; cognitive decision making; crime and deviance, with particular attention to the problem of mass incarceration; the "law in action" versus the "law on the books;" organizational responses to law, particularly in the context of labor and employment; the roles of lawyers, judges, and juries; and law and social change with particular emphasis on the American civil rights movement.