The Social Context of Law

Introduction. I. THE PHILOSOPHICAL AND SOCIOLOGICAL CONTEXT OF LAW. 1. Social Context of Law. Social Conditions. Social Ideas. People. Interwoven Nature of the Three Reality Constructs. Legal Culture. A Definition of Law. What is Law? Components of Law. Sources of Law in the United States. Types of Law. Defining Law and Society. 2. The Theoretical Context of Law. Why Does Theory Matter? Influences from Legal Philosophy. Natural Law. Positivism. Influences from Sociology. Two Additional Perspectives. II. THE STRUCTURAL CONTEXT OF LAW. 3. Cross Cultural Context of Law. Problems with Comparative Studies and Issues. Romano-Germanic (Civil) Family of Law. Socialist Family of Law. Religious or Philosophical Family of Law - Islamic Law. Common Law Family of Law. Examples of Families of Law. 4. Types of Law. Civil Law. Criminal Law. Constitutional Law. 5. Systems of Law. The Courts. Hierarchy of the Court System. The United States Supreme Court. Case Attrition. Regulatory and Administrative Agencies. Reliance on the Court and Legal System in the United States. Conceptualizing the Legal System. 6. Practitioners of Law. Law makers - Legislators. Law Enforcers - Police Officers. Law Interpreters - Judges and Lawyers. Law Sanctioners - Correctional Officers. 7. Purposes and Usefulness of Law. Law as a Form of Informal and Formal Social Control. Law as Deterrence. Law as a Method of Conflict Resolution. Law as a Punishment and Remedy. Law as a Method of Social Change. Law and Public Policy. III. THE DIVERSE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF LAW. 8. Gender, Race, Social Class and Age and Law. Gender and the Social Context of Law. Race and the Social Context of Law. Social Class and the Social Context of Law. Social Context of the Death Penalty. Appendix. The Constitution of the United States. Indexes.