Law/Society: Origins, Interactions, and Change (Sociology for a New Century Series)

**Foundations of the Sociology of Law**provides a conceptual framework for thinking about the full range of topics within the sociology of law discipline.The book: contrasts normative and sociological perspectives on law; presents a primer on the logic of research and inference as applied to law related issues; examines theories of legal change; and discusses law in action with specific reference to civil rights legislation. A 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. An Introduction to the Sociology of LawPART ONE: LEGAL CHANGEEvolutionary Theories of Legal Change Maine and DurkheimLaw, Class Conflict and the Economy Marxian TheoryLaw and the State Max Weber's Sociology of LawThe Problem of Law in the Activist StatePART TWO: LEGAL ACTIONVoting Rights and School DesegregationEqual Employment OpportunityPART THREE: THE LEGAL PROFESSIONLaw as a ProfessionThe Transformation of Legal Practice in the Late 20th Century Foundations of the Sociology of Law provides a conceptual framework for thinking about the full range of topics within the sociology of law discipline. The book: contrasts normative and sociological perspectives on law; presents a primer on the logic of research and inference as applied to law related issues; examines theories of legal change; and discusses law in action with specific reference to civil rights legislation. This chapter is the first of three in which we discuss various ways of thinking about legal development. John R. Sutton. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 279-289) And Index.