Description
Book SynopsisA core text for the Law and Society or Sociology of Law course offered in Sociology, Criminal Justice, Political Science, and Schools of Law. John Sutton offers an explicitly analytical perspective to the subject - how does law change? What makes law more or less effective in solving social problems? What do lawyers do? Chapter 1 contrasts normative and sociological perspectives on law, and presents a brief primer on the logic of research and inference as it is applied to law related issues. Theories of legal change are discussed within a common conceptual framework that highlights the explantory strengths and weaknesses of different arguments. Discussions of law in action are explicitly comparative, applying a consistent model to explain the variable outcomes of civil rights legislation. Many concrete, in-depth examples throughout the chapters.
Trade Review"I think this book is going to be major contribution to the sociology of law. The balance between theory and substance, always a problem in this field, is very nice."
-- Lauren Edelman
"I look forward to using this book in my undergraduate sociology of law course."
-- Celesta Albonetti
Table of ContentsAn Introduction to the Sociology of Law PART ONE: LEGAL CHANGE Evolutionary Theories of Legal Change Maine and Durkheim Law, Class Conflict and the Economy Marxian Theory Law and the State Max Weber′s Sociology of Law The Problem of Law in the Activist State PART TWO: LEGAL ACTION Voting Rights and School Desegregation Equal Employment Opportunity PART THREE: THE LEGAL PROFESSION Law as a Profession The Transformation of Legal Practice in the Late 20th Century
