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SOC20350

Academic Year 2025/2026

Sociology of Law (SOC20350)

Subject:
Sociology
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Sociology
Level:
2 (Intermediate)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Alexander Kondakov
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

The module offers an overview of sociological approaches to law as social relationships and social institution. It gives an overview of theoretical, methodological, and empirical issues discussed in the Sociology of Law as a sub-discipline. The themes of the module include questions of justice, law enforcement, legal professionalism, everyday 'life' of law, social norms, and social change. These topics are scrutinised through both socio-legal and sociological methods.

Drawing on theoretical approaches in legal studies, the module offers a variety of definitions of law that are then critically assessed with sociological tools. Hence, the broader question of the module is: What is law? What forms does the law take in our societies? How does law constitute the societies and do societies constitute the law? In other words, during the classes, we will be looking at social, political, and historical aspects of the formation of justice as we know it.

The module covers literature in the Sociology of Law from classic authors (Marx, Durkheim, and Weber) to contemporary debates (feminist jurisprudence, queer criminology, etc.).

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

Upon the completion of this module, students will be able to critically engage in discussions of law from the sociological perspective. The unique understanding of law as a social rather than legal phenomenon will be comprehended as the result of the classes. Students will acquire theoretical knowledge about main concepts in the sociology of law and about major empirical debates in the field. In practical terms, students will be equipped with social science tools to analyse legal issues.

Indicative Module Content:

Indicative Content of the Module
1. Introduction to the Sociology of Law
2. Definition and Diversity of Law
3. Jurists’ Approaches to the Study of Law Sociologically
4. Classical Sociology of Law
5. Weberian and Durkheimian Perspectives
6. Structuralist Approaches to Law
7. Marx and Critical Legal Studies
8. Foucauldian Perspectives on Law and Discourse
9. Legal Anthropology and Legal Cultures
10. Social Change, Feminist and Queer Legal Studies

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

22
Autonomous Student Learning

103
Total

125

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
The course is delivered in 2 hours a day once a week. Students will also work individually on their projects and in groups during class hours. Critical thinking, reading, and writing are foundational for the course.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Write your final structured essay with a sociological analysis of a legal issue. Week 14 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
45
 No
Quizzes/Short Exercises: Complete a quiz on the main concepts within the Sociology of Law. Week 8 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
40
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: Over the course of at least 9 weeks, students are invited to participate in class activities by contributing to discussions and completing small group projects. It is a self-evaluated component. Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
15
 No

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring Yes - 2 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Online automated feedback
• Self-assessment activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback in the form of grades is generated automatically for the quiz; substantial comments and grades are given individually for the final assignment; students evaluate their own participation in class.

Readings
1. Cotterrell R. (2006) Why Must Legal Ideas Be Interpreted Sociologically?, in: Law, Culture and Society: Legal Ideas in the Mirror of Social Theory. London: Routledge, 45-63.
2. Falk Moore S. (2004) Emile Durkheim; Max Weber; Karl Marx, in: Law and Anthropology: A Reader. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 40-52.
3. Foucault M. (1995) Discipline and Punish. New York: Vintage.
4. Galligan D.J. (2006) Law and Coercion, in: Law in Modern Society. Oxford University Press, 142-157.
5. Golder B. and Fitzpatrick P. (2009) Foucault’s Law. London: Routledge.
6. Hunt A. (1999) The Marxist Theory of Law, in: A companion to Philosophy of Law and Legal Theory. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 355-366.
7. Hunt A. (2002) The Problematisation of Law in Classical Social Theory, in: An Introduction to Law and Social Theory. Oxford: Hart, 13-31.
8. Kennedy D. (2002) The Critique of Rights in Critical Legal Studies, in: Left Legalism / Left Critique. Durham: Duke University Press.
9. Kondakov A. (2022) Violent Affections. UCL Press.
10. Lacey N. (2004) The Constitution of Identity: Gender, Feminist Legal Theory, and the Law and Society Movement, in: The Blackwell Companion to Law and Society. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 471-486.
11. Merry S.E. (2004) Colonial and Postcolonial Law, in: The Blackwell Companion to Law and Society. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 569-588.
12. McCann M. (2004) Law and Social Movements, in: The Blackwell Companion to Law and Society. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 506-522.
13. Munger F. (2004) Rights in the Shadow of Class: Poverty, Welfare, and the Law, in: The Blackwell Companion to Law and Society. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 330-353.
14. Nelken D. (2005) Rethinking Legal Culture. Law and Sociology, 8: 200-224.
15. Roach Anleu S. (2000) Law and Social Change. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 138-169.
16. Tamanaha B. (2000) A Non-Essentialist Version of Legal Pluralism. Journal of Law and Society, 27(2): 296-321.
17. Treviño J.A. (2017) The Sociology of Law: Classical and Contemporary Perspectives. London: Routledge.
18. Woods J.B. (2014) Queering Criminology: Overview of the State of the Field, in: Handbook of LGBT Communities, Crime, and Justice. New York: Springer, 15-41.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Mon 13:00 - 14:50
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