Explores major issues and ethical debates about law and society including perspectives on the origins of law; why people obey/disobey law; how ethics affect legal decision-making; the "law in action" versus the "law on the books;" the roles of lawyers, judges, and juries; and law and social change.
Athena Title
Sociology of Law
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in SOCI 4830W
Prerequisite
SOCI 1101 or SOCI 1101E or SOCI 1101H or permission of department
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
Students will understand and explain how law reflects and shapes a society’s moral values and ethical principles; why people obey/disobey law; how perceptions of justice, morality, and legitimacy affect legal decision-making; rationales for punishment; the "law in action" versus the "law on the books;" the roles of lawyers, judges, and juries; and the effect of law on social change.
Students will apply sociological theory to real world legal issues and debates.
Students will synthesize and evaluate social science evidence to construct and communicate arguments for how law should reconcile competing ethical principles.
Students will collect and analyze quantitative or qualitative social science data; interpret and communicate conclusions based on data analyses data.
Topical Outline
• Metatheoretical Foundations of the Sociology of Law
o Law School model
o Sociological models: Cultural, Structural, and Conflict Models
• Micro-foundations of Legal Behavior
o Rational Choice
o Morality/Normative
o Social Construction of Deviance
• The Law in Action
o Civil Dispute Resolution
o Criminal Dispute Resolution
• Institutional Actors: Lawyers, Courts, and Juries
• Law and Social Change
Institutional Competencies Learning Outcomes
Analytical Thinking
The ability to reason, interpret, analyze, and solve problems from a wide array of authentic contexts.
