Research Methods in Law and Society. 3 credits, 3 contact hours

Catalog description

Prerequisites: ENGL 102 with a grade of C or higher, and a course fulfilling the History and Humanities GER 200 level course with a grade of C or higher. Law threads through every aspect of society: it permits and prohibits human behaviors, it enables and invalidates official actions, and it protects and prosecutes citizens. This course explore the social complexity of law through original research. Students will learn how to trace the connections between law and society using interdisciplinary humanities and social science approaches. Readings span several theoretical, disciplinary, and interdisciplinary perspectives that include history, sociology, anthropology, political science, economics, psychology, and cultural studies. The readings will guide the student's original research on what law is and how it operates in relation to society. The course facilitates student understanding of the relationships between social, cultural, political, and economic forces on the one hand, and legal rules, practices, and outcomes, on the other. This course may be used to satisfy a three credit 300 level GER in History and Humanities.