After Method

After Method

Author: John Law

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2004-08-12

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 113429431X

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John Law argues that methods don't just describe social realities but are also involved in creating them. The implications of this argument are highly significant. If this is the case, methods are always political, and it raises the question of what kinds of social realities we want to create. Most current methods look for clarity and precision. It is usually said that only poor research produces messy findings, and the idea that things in the world might be fluid, elusive, or multiple is unthinkable. Law's startling argument is that this is wrong and it is time for a new approach. Many realities, he says, are vague and ephemeral. If methods want to know and help to shape the world, then they need to reinvent themselves and their politics to deal with mess. That is the challenge. Nothing less will do.


The Role of Social Science in Law

The Role of Social Science in Law

Author: Elizabeth Mertz

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 654

ISBN-13:

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The legal system relies on social science for answers to many tough questions. Social scientists study issues relevant to law. But are law and social science talking past one another? This collection of important articles and essays explores the difficult process of translation between these two fields, drawing on three different scholarly perspectives - the 'insider' approach which views social science as a tool that lawyers can use for legal ends, the 'outsider' approach of the law and society or sociology of law movement, and the study of the language of law. Each section of the volume combines theoretical articles with specific empirical examples, ranging from the death penalty through anti-discrimination law to family violence.


Children, Social Science, and the Law

Children, Social Science, and the Law

Author: Bette L. Bottoms

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2002-06-10

Total Pages: 516

ISBN-13: 9780521664066

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This important book broadens our conceptualization of the topic of children and law, addressing a wide-ranging set of issues in need of attention. The authors confront many difficult questions such as: Are the rights that our nation's laws ascribe to children commensurate with their capabilities and needs? How should laws governing the punishment of crime acknowledge developmental differences between adult and juvenile offenders? Throughout the book, the authors consider (a) current laws and policies relating to children; (b) how social science research can test assumptions behind child-relevant laws and policies; (c) ways that courts can become more receptive to social science recommendations; and (d) challenges faced in the 21st century as our society continues its struggle to accommodate children's concerns within our legal system. With its unique integration of psychological research, social policy, and legal analysis, the volume is an important resource for any professional concerned with children and the law.


Concepts of Law

Concepts of Law

Author: Dr Lukas Heckendorn Urscheler

Publisher: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.

Published: 2014-10-28

Total Pages: 422

ISBN-13: 1472401549

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Debates surrounding the concept of law are not new. For a wide variety of reasons and in a wide variety of ways, the meaning of 'law' has long been an important part of Western thought, both within legal scholarship and beyond. The contributors to Concepts of Law are international experts from the fields of comparative law, legal philosophy, and the social sciences. Combining theoretical analyses with case studies, they explore various legal concepts and contexts from diverse national and disciplinary perspectives. Legal and normative pluralism is a theme throughout. Some chapters discuss the development of state law and legal systems. Others wrestle with law’s rhetoric and the potential utility of alternative vocabularies, e.g., 'governance' and ‘governmentality’. Others reveal the rich polyjurality of the present, from the local to the global. The result is a rich picture of both present scholarship on laws and norms and the state of contemporary legal complexity, each crossing traditional boundaries.


Corruption, Social Sciences and the Law

Corruption, Social Sciences and the Law

Author: Jane Ellis

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2019-04-25

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13: 0429589018

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The problem of corruption, however described, dates back thousands of years. Professionals working in areas such as development studies, economics and political studies, were the first to most actively analyse and publish on the topic of corruption and its negative impacts on economies, societies and politics. There was, at that time, minimal literature available on corruption and the law. The literature and discussion on bribery and corruption, as well as on the negative impact of each and what is required to address them, particularly in the legal context, are now considerable. Corruption and anti-corruption are multifaceted and multi-disciplinary. The focus now on the law and compliance, and perhaps commercial incentives, is relatively easy. However, corruption, anti-corruption and the motivations for them are complex. If we continue to discuss, debate, engage, address corruption and anti-corruption in our own disciplinary silos, we are unlikely to significantly progress the fight against corruption. What do terms such as 'culture of integrity', 'demand accountability', ‘transparency and accountability’ and ‘ethical corporate culture’ dominating the anti-corruption discourse mean, if anything, in other disciplines? If they are meaningless, what approach would practitioners in those other disciplines suggest be adopted to address corruption. What has their experience been in the field? How can the work of each discipline contribute to the work of whole and, as such, improve our work in and understanding of anti-corruption? This book seeks to answer these questions and to understand the phenomenon more comprehensively. It will be of value to researchers, academics, lawyers, legislators and students in the fields of law, anthropology, sociology, international affairs, and business.


Comparative Methods in Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

Comparative Methods in Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

Author: Adams, Maurice

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Published: 2021-11-19

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 1802201467

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This cutting-edge book facilitates debate amongst scholars in law, humanities and social sciences, where comparative methodology is far less well anchored in most areas compared to other research methods. It posits that these are disciplines in which comparative research is not simply a bonus, but is of the essence.


Sociology of Law as the Science of Norms

Sociology of Law as the Science of Norms

Author: Håkan Hydén

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2021-12-28

Total Pages: 316

ISBN-13: 1000533107

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This book proposes the study of norms as a method of explaining human choice and behaviour by introducing a new scientific perspective. The science of norms may here be broadly understood as a social science which includes elements from both the behavioural and legal sciences. It is given that a science of norms is not normative in the sense of prescribing what is right or wrong in various situations. Compared with legal science, sociology of law has an interest in the operational side of legal rules and regulation. This book develops a synthesizing social science approach to better understand societal development in the wake of the increasingly significant digital technology. The underlying idea is that norms as expectations today are not primarily related to social expectations emanating from human interactions but come from systems that mankind has created for fulfilling its needs. Today the economy, via the market, and technology via digitization, generate stronger and more frequent expectations than the social system. By expanding the sociological understanding of norms, the book makes comparisons between different parts of society possible and creates a more holistic understanding of contemporary society. The book will be of interest to academics and researchers in the areas of sociology of law, legal theory, philosophy of law, sociology and social psychology.


American Legal Realism and Empirical Social Science

American Legal Realism and Empirical Social Science

Author: John Henry Schlegel

Publisher: Univ of North Carolina Press

Published: 2000-11-09

Total Pages: 433

ISBN-13: 0807864366

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John Henry Schlegel recovers a largely ignored aspect of American Legal Realism, a movement in legal thought in the 1920s and 1930s that sought to bring the modern notion of empirical science into the study and teaching of law. In this book, he explores individual Realist scholars' efforts to challenge the received notion that the study of law was primarily a matter of learning rules and how to manipulate them. He argues that empirical research was integral to Legal Realism, and he explores why this kind of research did not, finally, become a part of American law school curricula. Schlegel reviews the work of several prominent Realists but concentrates on the writings of Walter Wheeler Cook, Underhill Moore, and Charles E. Clark. He reveals how their interest in empirical research was a product of their personal and professional circumstances and demonstrates the influence of John Dewey's ideas on the expression of that interest. According to Schlegel, competing understandings of the role of empirical inquiry contributed to the slow decline of this kind of research by professors of law. Originally published in 1995. A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.


An Invitation to Law and Social Science

An Invitation to Law and Social Science

Author: Richard Lempert

Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press

Published: 2016-11-11

Total Pages: 544

ISBN-13: 1512809500

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This innovative work treats law as the set of rules governing how people should act in society, and it demonstrates how the legal system attempts to deter antisocial behavior. Comprised of three sections. the book explores different ways in which law decides issues of responsibility, how cases are adjudicated, and theories of distributive justice and social change. Distinguished by its problem-oriented, topical perspective, An Invitation to Law and Social Science serves as an invaluable book for course in law and society, legal process, and the sociology of law.