This workshop is intended to introduce joint law and sociology graduate students to the empirical, sociological study of law and legal institutions. In contrast to social science approaches that treat law as superstructure, or traditional legal approaches that treat it as a formal system of rules that is autonomous from society, this course treats law as a social institution. We will cover topics such as the relation of law to inequality and stratification, social movements, organizations and institutions, political sociology and state development, and the social construction of disputes and dispute resolution processes. The course will primarily feature research presentations by students, faculty, and guest speakers, and will include discussion of substantive, theoretical, and methodological questions. We will also address career development issues, covering such topics as: where to publish interdisciplinary work; the relative benefits of teaching in law schools, interdisciplinary departments, and sociology departments; and how to "plug in" to the law and society professional network.
This course is cross-listed with Sociology 338.