Sociology of Law
A.Y. 2022/2023
Learning objectives
This course is aimed at providing students with the conceptual and methodological tools of sociology of law, that is, the science that investigates legal phenomena with the methods of empirical sciences; the ultimate goal being the acquisition of adequate skills to the analysis of legal phenomena from a non-dogmatic perspective.
Within this framework, much time will be dedicated to the analysis of some fundamental concepts, such as the concepts of social action and social interaction, as well as the concepts of norm, law, right (including fundamental rights), social and legal change.
Within this framework, much time will be dedicated to the analysis of some fundamental concepts, such as the concepts of social action and social interaction, as well as the concepts of norm, law, right (including fundamental rights), social and legal change.
Expected learning outcomes
- the knowledge of the fundamental concepts and the research methods of sociology of law;
- the ability to apply the skills acquired during this course to the analysis of legal phenomena;
- the ability to critically and autonomously interpret legal phenomena in a legal-sociological way (rather than in legal-dogmatic way);
- the ability to use the acquired knowledge with argumentative consistency and an adequate command of the legal-sociological technical terminology;
- the ability to undertake—in the most possible autonomous way—in-depth studies concerning law as social phenomenon by making use of a method that should combine theoretical reflection and critical observation.
- the ability to apply the skills acquired during this course to the analysis of legal phenomena;
- the ability to critically and autonomously interpret legal phenomena in a legal-sociological way (rather than in legal-dogmatic way);
- the ability to use the acquired knowledge with argumentative consistency and an adequate command of the legal-sociological technical terminology;
- the ability to undertake—in the most possible autonomous way—in-depth studies concerning law as social phenomenon by making use of a method that should combine theoretical reflection and critical observation.
Lesson period: Second semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Surname A-L
Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
The sociology of law is that branch of sociology that studies the relations between law and society. It draws from general sociology theoretical paradigms and research methods and adapts them to the study of law.
The course is divided into two parts: a general part and a monographic part. The first part aims to frame the discipline within the social sciences and analyze some fundamental concepts, including the concept of norm, legal action, impact and effectiveness, the relationship between law and opinion and between social change and legal change.
The monographic part of the course concerns the issue of legal subjectivity, equality and discrimination.
Syllabus:
Law as a social phenomenon
The sociology of law between theory and research
Social norms and legal norms
Monism and legal pluralism
Legal action and its effects
Action, compliance and deviance
Impact and effectiveness of the legal norms
Institutions between law and society: rights, family, prison
Right and opinion
Social change and legal change
Equality and discrimination in a critical perspective
The abstract subject of law, the 'situated' subjects of law.Focus on women, foreigners and people with disabilities
The course is divided into two parts: a general part and a monographic part. The first part aims to frame the discipline within the social sciences and analyze some fundamental concepts, including the concept of norm, legal action, impact and effectiveness, the relationship between law and opinion and between social change and legal change.
The monographic part of the course concerns the issue of legal subjectivity, equality and discrimination.
Syllabus:
Law as a social phenomenon
The sociology of law between theory and research
Social norms and legal norms
Monism and legal pluralism
Legal action and its effects
Action, compliance and deviance
Impact and effectiveness of the legal norms
Institutions between law and society: rights, family, prison
Right and opinion
Social change and legal change
Equality and discrimination in a critical perspective
The abstract subject of law, the 'situated' subjects of law.Focus on women, foreigners and people with disabilities
Prerequisites for admission
No prior knowledge is required.
Preparatory Courses: Private Law, Constitutional Law.
Preparatory Courses: Private Law, Constitutional Law.
Teaching methods
Frontal lessons, class discussion, seminars.
Teaching Resources
Attending and non-attending students:
- V. Ferrari, Diritto e società. Elementi di sociologia del diritto, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2012 (o ed. successive). Chapters 1, 2, 3, 6, 7. Chapter. 4 only the paragraphs 1-3-5.
- F. Vianello, Il carcere, in A. Dino, C. Rinaldi (edited by), Sociologia della devianza e del crimine. Prospettive, ambiti e sviluppi contemporanei, Mondadori, Milano 2021.
- V. Ferrari, La dinamica del diritto, in V. Ferrari, Lineamenti di sociologia del diritto. I. Azione giuridica e sistema normativo, Laterza, Roma-Bari 1997.
Two of the following essays:
- M.G. Bernardini, To be or not to be ... disabled. Identità in bilico tra lotta per il riconoscimento e (post-) identity problem, in Ragion Pratica, 2\2015.
- O. Giolo, La responsabilità delle donne, tra patriarcato e neoliberalismo, in A. Verza, S. Vida (edited by), Postfemminismo e neoliberalismo, Aracne Editrice, Roma 2020.
- L. Mancini, L'accesso alla cittadinanza italiana. Una lettura critica, in Sociologia del diritto, 3\2021.
Except from the book Diritto e società. Elementi di sociologia del diritto, all the essays are available on the Ariel platform.
- V. Ferrari, Diritto e società. Elementi di sociologia del diritto, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2012 (o ed. successive). Chapters 1, 2, 3, 6, 7. Chapter. 4 only the paragraphs 1-3-5.
- F. Vianello, Il carcere, in A. Dino, C. Rinaldi (edited by), Sociologia della devianza e del crimine. Prospettive, ambiti e sviluppi contemporanei, Mondadori, Milano 2021.
- V. Ferrari, La dinamica del diritto, in V. Ferrari, Lineamenti di sociologia del diritto. I. Azione giuridica e sistema normativo, Laterza, Roma-Bari 1997.
Two of the following essays:
- M.G. Bernardini, To be or not to be ... disabled. Identità in bilico tra lotta per il riconoscimento e (post-) identity problem, in Ragion Pratica, 2\2015.
- O. Giolo, La responsabilità delle donne, tra patriarcato e neoliberalismo, in A. Verza, S. Vida (edited by), Postfemminismo e neoliberalismo, Aracne Editrice, Roma 2020.
- L. Mancini, L'accesso alla cittadinanza italiana. Una lettura critica, in Sociologia del diritto, 3\2021.
Except from the book Diritto e società. Elementi di sociologia del diritto, all the essays are available on the Ariel platform.
Assessment methods and Criteria
Oral exam (maximum score: 30\30 cum laude). The final assessment takes into account active participation during the course. The evaluation criteria will consider the knowledge of the fundamental issues of the sociology of law, the skills of critical analysis and the clarity of exposition.
Surname M-Z
Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
Sociology of law is the empirical scienze of law. Most courses taught at Italian Law Schools are of a dogmatic nature (they also called "positive legal sciences"). This means that they aim at describing the law in force based on undisputed axioms like the being in force of the Italian consitution or the Italian civil code (which was passed prior to the Italian constitution). Instead, sociology of law does away with these axioms. It does not aim at deriving this or that statement from this or that axiom. Rather, it aims at formulating statements that should correspond to reality, just as any other empirical science. The course will be in three parts. In part 1 the main criteria for the assessment of the scientific legitimation of an empirical conceptualization will be presented. In part 2 the main empirical conceptualizations offered by legal sociologists will be discussed and criticized for their lack of scientific legitimacy. In part 3 a conceptualization based on cognitive and emotional phenomena (sense of entitlement) will be presented and based of that conceptualizations of law, valildity, being-in-force, ownership, state, different types of normative source will be offered.
Analytic program
1. Sociology of law vs. legal dogmatics
2. Sociologies on social objects vs. sociologies vs non-social objects
3. Criteria for the scientific conceptualizations and causality
4. Normative emotions and normative expectations
5. Legal emotions, legal expectationsn and their conflict-generating nature
6. Legal relationships
7. Ownership and authority as compound legal relationships
8. Phenomena counteracting the conflict-generating nature of legal phenomena: positivization, formalization and adjudication
9. Phenomena produced by the compatibilization of legal expectations: market economies
10. Phenomena produced by the compatibilization of legal expectations: states
Analytic program
1. Sociology of law vs. legal dogmatics
2. Sociologies on social objects vs. sociologies vs non-social objects
3. Criteria for the scientific conceptualizations and causality
4. Normative emotions and normative expectations
5. Legal emotions, legal expectationsn and their conflict-generating nature
6. Legal relationships
7. Ownership and authority as compound legal relationships
8. Phenomena counteracting the conflict-generating nature of legal phenomena: positivization, formalization and adjudication
9. Phenomena produced by the compatibilization of legal expectations: market economies
10. Phenomena produced by the compatibilization of legal expectations: states
Prerequisites for admission
None
Teaching methods
Classroom-Taught Lectures
Teaching Resources
Attending students: The assignments.
Non-attending students:
(1). Mandatory for all non-attending students:
Edoardo Fittipaldi, Norma. Una concettualizzazione per la sociologia del diritto e le altre scienze sociali.
Further, the non-attending students shall choose and study between:
(2.1). Vincenzo Ferrari, Prima lezione di sociologia del diritto. Roma-Bari: Laterza (pp. 1-177, 178 pagine; the introduction may not be studied).
OR
(2.2). Morris L. Ghezzi, Il diritto come estetica. Milano: Mimesis (pp. 13-111, 99 pagine)
Edoardo Fittipaldi, Convergenze. Disponibile su ARIEL (4 pagine) (This text is part of program 2.2. only)
Simonetta Balboni Ghezzi, Due pensatori a confronto. Available on ARIEL (7 pagine) (This text is part of program 2.2. only)
Non-attending students:
(1). Mandatory for all non-attending students:
Edoardo Fittipaldi, Norma. Una concettualizzazione per la sociologia del diritto e le altre scienze sociali.
Further, the non-attending students shall choose and study between:
(2.1). Vincenzo Ferrari, Prima lezione di sociologia del diritto. Roma-Bari: Laterza (pp. 1-177, 178 pagine; the introduction may not be studied).
OR
(2.2). Morris L. Ghezzi, Il diritto come estetica. Milano: Mimesis (pp. 13-111, 99 pagine)
Edoardo Fittipaldi, Convergenze. Disponibile su ARIEL (4 pagine) (This text is part of program 2.2. only)
Simonetta Balboni Ghezzi, Due pensatori a confronto. Available on ARIEL (7 pagine) (This text is part of program 2.2. only)
Assessment methods and Criteria
Oral exam
Professor(s)
Reception:
by appointment via email: [email protected]
Dipartimento 'Cesare Beccaria', Sezione di Filosofia e Sociologia del diritto; MTeams