Faculty At Home Seminar: The Laws of Surfing: Some Theoretical Puzzles

Catalog description

Legal theory has long puzzled over a series of dilemmas regarding the regulation of social life. For example: Can effective regulation occur outside of the structures of the state and its legal system? How are social rules created, interpreted and enforced? This FAH seminar uses surfing as an excuse for discussing such issues. Surfing has a long set of conventional rules regarding behavior in the water. Who has priority to ride a wave? Are there limits to using the technicalities of such positional rules to gain priority? How are such rules enforced both in competition and in the water? The seminar will address such surfing questions by reading and discussing a series of classic texts ranging from Moby Dick on Fast-Fish and Loose-Fish to Bob Ellickson's work on the cattle ranchers of Shasta County, California.