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Foundations of Law and Society

Vak
2024-2025

Admission requirements

Admission to the Master Law and Society; completion of summer reading requirements.

Description

This class is the beginning of the course of study in the Master Law and Society. The course will introduce students to major theoretical perspectives in the field of socio-legal studies and survey central problems in contemporary research. The course serves both to provide a foundation for more advanced and topic-specific courses, and to introduce students to a range of faculty and research areas in the Master.

The course is guided by three overarching questions: How is law in the books different from law in action? How do law and legal institutions affect social relations and the distribution of power within society? And how do social relations and existing power differentials affect the emergence, preservation, and changes of law and legal institutions? In considering these questions, the course concentrates on themes that are further developed in the Master, including lawmaking, law enforcement, dispute resolution, legal pluralism, and the role of social movements.

The course will begin with a series of interactive lectures and small seminar teaching lead by the course coordinator to introduce students to the field of socio-legal studies. After the first several meetings, the course will feature guest lectures from the faculty of the Master, who will discuss areas of their specific topical expertise.

Course objectives

Objectives of the course
At the end of this course, students must be able to:

  • Explain how society influences the emergence, preservation, and change of laws and legal institutions;

  • Describe how the enforcement of laws, and the behavior of legal institutions, affect different segments of society;

  • Distinguish the different determinants of legal consciousness;

  • Offer different explanations for variation in (non)compliance, enforcement, disputing, and dispute resolution;

  • Evaluate the basic logic and soundness of empirical socio-legal research.

Timetable

Check MyTimetable.

Mode of instruction

Lectures

  • Number of (2 hour) lectures: 1 per week for 10 weeks

  • Names of lecturers: to be announced

  • Required preparation by students: completion of required reading

Seminars

  • Number of (2 hour) seminars: 1 per week for 10 weeks

  • Names of instructors: to be announced

  • Required preparation by students: completion of required reading and class reflections

Assessment method

Examination form(s)

  • The course requires a midterm examination (40%), reflection assignments (20%), and a final exam (40%). A fail for one part of the exam can be compensated with a pass for an other part of the exam.

  • If the final grade is a failing grade, there is a possibility of a resit for the reflection assignments (20%) and the final exam (40%).

  • Grades are valid only for the academic year in which this course is taken.

Submission procedures
Submission of exams will take place through the online course platform on Brightspace.

Areas to be tested within the exam
The examination syllabus consists of the required reading (literature) for the course, the course information guide and the subjects taught in the lectures, the seminars and all other instructions which are part of the course.

Regulation retake passed exams
In this course it is possible to retake an exam that has been passed (cf. art. 4.1.8 and further of the Course and Examination Regulations). Students who have passed the exam may retake the final written assessment (test) of the course if they meet certain requirements. For more information, go to the website > ‘Law’ tab > ‘Retake a passed exam’.

Reading list

Obligatory course materials
The required reading, as well as supplemental and recommended materials, will be posted online in advance on the Brightspace environment for the course.

Registration

Registration for courses and exams takes place via MyStudymap. If you do not have access to MyStudymap (guest students), look here (under the Law-tab) for more information on the registration procedure in your situation.

Contact

  • Coordinator: Matthew Canfield and Janine Ubink

  • Work address: KOG (Steenschuur 25 Leiden), room A1.57

  • Telephone number: +31 (0) 71 527 7260

  • Email: m.c.canfield@law.leidenuniv.nl, j.m.ubink@law.leidenuniv.nl

Institution/division

  • Institute: The Institute for the Interdisciplinary Study of the Law

  • Department: Van Vollenhoven Institute for Law, Governance & Society

  • Room number secretary: KOG (Steenschuur 25 Leiden), room B1.14

  • Opening hours: Monday till Thursday and Friday morning

  • Telephone number secretary: +31 (0)71 527 7260

  • Email: SecretariatVVI@LAW.leidenuniv.nl

Remarks