Legal Anthropology

Catalog description

This course focuses on the comparative study of law, legal institutions, and other modes of dispute processing and regulation, in both contemporary and historical societies. We read foundational works in legal anthropology, examine ethnographic studies of legal structures in non-Western cultures, and apply anthropological theories to facets of the U.S. legal system. Through the course, we explore legal pluralism, law and colonialism, law and culture, and law and everyday life. We also consider ethnographies of human rights, law, and justice in conflict and post-conflict settings.