Sociology of Law

This subject aim at helping students to acquire a complete and critical knowledge of the main concepts, principles and postulates of Legal Sociology. Students are expected to ask themselves about the legality of Law in society: Law, what is its? purpose? Law, for whom? It therefore proposes a critical reflection on the role of Law in societies, especially the new millennium?s societies. To do this, we should call into question some statements that dogmatism has given for certain while reality, most of the times, for uncertain: the neutrality of legal operators, the omniscience of Law, the univocity of norms and many others. These approaches to legal issues appear to be those of the nineteenth century rather than those of the complex twenty-first century.

To achieve our purpose, students should become familiar with classical and contemporary theories about the relationship between Law and society, analyzing the influence of one another. In addition, they will be given the opportunity to know the results of specific empirical research on these issues. Teaching will be oriented to promote an analytical attitude in students, an attitude that allows them to judge on their own the theories and points of view related to Law and its? social function.

Course will consist of 60hrs of in class work and 90 hrs of independent work outside the classroom.