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170 Anthropological Approaches to Law
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 The
course is designed for providing an informational basis for seeing our own
legal system in the broadest comparative perspective. It is not designed
nor intended as a "pre-law" course. Rather, in exploring law from anthropological
and humanistic points of view this class is quite unlike the perspective
of the modern law school. Thus the course is intended for students with
various intellectual and career interests. Note: this course satisfies the
General Education Writing Requirements and is a requirement in the Law and
Society Program |
The
objective of this course is to introduce students to the central themes
and theories in the anthropological study of law and law-related processes.
The course will explore the history of legal theory from classical to
contemporary times, and critique a legal evolutionary perspective that
posits "primitive" legal systems against the "civilized" west. In relating
theory to ethnographic analyses, questions addressed will be: What is
law? Do all societies have law? To what extent does law influence and
help shape social customs and norms, and conversely, how do existing customs
and norms shape law and legal institutions? What are the implications
of law in constructions of gender, race, class, and cultural identity?
These issues will be addressed through readings, films and class discussions
which will familiarize students with anthropological theory useful in
analyzing the social/cultural dimensions of modern law as it relates to
policy, human rights and citizenship.