This book offers an exceptionally straightforward explanation of the intertwining relationship between law and society--with emphasis on the relationship of social conditions, social ideas, and people to the creation, interpretation, and use of law. These three concepts are further used to illustrate how law is formulated in a cross-cultural context, as well as within the confines of gender, race and social class. The social context of law. The theoretical context of law. Cross-cultural context of law. Types of law. Systems of law. Practitioners of law. The purpose and usefulness of law. Gender, race, social class, and law. For anyone who desires an understanding of the significant bearing law has on contemporary life, and for those considering the legal professions, e.g., pre-law, paralegal, corrections, etc.

This is a timely new edition of Sharyn L Roach Anleu's invaluable introduction to the sociology of law and its role as a social institution and social process. Discussing current theory and key empirical research from a diverse range of perspectives Law and Social Change gives relevant examples, from various cultures and societies, to provide a sociological view which goes beyond more jurisprudential approaches to law and society. The book: * provides coverage of major classic and contemporary social theories of law * is informed by empirical research drawn from several countries/societies * includes up to date and relevant examples This thoroughly updated edition engages with modern scholarship, and recent research, on globalization whilst also looking at related issues such as the internationalization of law and human rights. It explores recent reforms at local and national levels, including issues of migration and refugees, the regulation of 'anti-social' behaviour, and specialist or problem solving courts and also provides a clear, accessible introduction to research methods used in the socio-legal field. Direct and wide-ranging this text will be essential reading for students and researchers on social science and law courses and in particular, those taking sociology, legal theory, criminology and criminal justice studies.

However, unlike conventional legal theory, this volume seeks to provide an answer in terms of a general social theory: a methodology that answers this question in a manner applicable not only to law, but also to all the other complex and highly differentiated systems within modern society, such as politics, the economy, religion, the media, and education. This truly sociological approach offers profound insights into the relationships between law and all of these other social systems.

"This text is intended for a one-semester introductory course."--Page 1.

Pursuing justice is daunting. It plays out in a variety of contexts — like the environment, employment, the criminal justice system — and raises tough issues like racism, gender discrimination and poverty. But ultimately the aim of studying justice is to achieve it. This book is about justice in Canada: its definition, its boundaries, its contradictions and its nuances. It is also about the mechanisms and practices that enable the pursuit of justice. It problematizes the notion of justice while defining and pursuing the illusive notion of justice in Canadian society. This second edition features updated content from the popular first edition as well as new content about social justice and racism, the experiences of racialized persons with police, settler colonialism and issues of justice for gender and sexual minorities — all from a Canadian perspective. Additionally, each chapter contains objectives of the chapter, case studies and discussion questions.

García-Villegas compares the scholarship on the relationship between law, political power, and society in the United States and France.

This volume investigates the trend toward pre-monotheistic worship and focuses on neo-paganism practitioners' desire to find the female in the divine. It includes the work of Starhawk, Ronald Hutton, Michael York, Graham Harvey, Jenny Blain, Helen A. Berger, Wendy Griffith, and more.