LAW AND CIVILIZATION

Law and Civilization is a seminar class in legal anthropology. It is intended to provide students with an overview of the different legal systems used throughout the world and through history. This course will focus on the historical developments of the various legal systems and explore the ways in which culture and religion impact each society’s sense of justice. “Law” will be a vehicle for studying culture, language, religion, geography, and history.

Students will be able to understand some of the major themes in legal anthropology and legal sociology and their application in several East Asian states, including Korea, Indonesia, and Singapore for instance. These include the relationship between law and culture, the overlap of multiple forms of law in societies, the relationship between law and power, and the role of ideas, traditions and authority in law. The course will then also consider the different kinds of society in which different types of law are practiced, from societies that are not states or exist within states, to states, to global civilization. By undertaking this course, students will be able to read, interpret, and analyze classic and recent texts in the field of legal anthropology, understand key themes and issues in this subject, apply these in particular cases, and present and develop their own views in writing and in presentation forms.

Students are expected to read before class, and be prepared for discussions. Bring readings and notes to class. Questions are always welcomed. No use of computers and cell phones in the class room. No cheating or plagiarism allowed.