Sociology of Law ((4 Credits))

Catalog description

This sociology study focuses on law and legal systems as products of social structure. As such, this social institution is influenced by political, economic, social, historical and cultural shifts as societies evolve. At the same time, the way societies evolve is affected by the operation and outcomes of the legal system. In many ways, the law defines and drives our understandings and ideas about our social context, such as the meanings of gender and race, what behavior should be criminalized, how the economy works, etc. This study, then, integrates learning in many other areas including psychology, gender, race, class, inequality, social change, social movements, history, etc. How the study will evolve depends greatly on an individual student’s learning and professional goals as well as their interests. Prerequisites: Introduction to Law, Introduction to Sociology, advanced law or sociology studies; OR comparable prior learning Studies in other disciplines such as history, psychology, sociology, etc. will enhance the learning in this study. NOTE: This study could function as a capstone study for a concentration in Law and Society and/or Legal Studies. OR it could function as a first study in these concentrations after foundational studies are completed.