LAW-10043 - Module Specification
School of Law
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
For academic year: 2022/23 Last Updated: 19 January 2023
LAW-10043 - A Critical Introduction to Law and Society
Coordinator: Fabienne Emmerich Tel: +44 1782 7 33139
School Office: 01782 733218
Programme/Approved Electives for 2022/23
Available as a Free Standing Elective
Co-requisites
None
Prerequisites
None
Barred Combinations
None
Description for 2022/23
Ever considered to look beyond law�s objective/neutral exterior that is produced through doctrinal legal method? Have you ever thought about flipping your perspective on law to expose what lies beneath? In this module we take a postcolonial approach to explore how law reproduces imperialist, heteronormative, cisnormative, racist, classist, ableist and agist structural inequalities. You will develop a foundational understanding of law and society with a strong grounding in postcolonial theory, feminist legal theory, queer theory, critical disability theory, and more.
Aims
The module is designed to provide students with foundational knowledge and understanding of Law and Society theory and research. It does this by drawing on a postcolonial perspective in which Western theoretical approaches to Law and Society are decentred.
The aim is to expose students to different critical theoretical approaches to understanding the nature and function of law including Legal Realism, Feminist Legal Studies and Post colonisalism and the law
The module provides foundational knowledge for Level 5 modules such as Law in Action as well as Level 6 modules such as Gender, Sexuality and Law and Jurisprudence. Moreover, it gives students a sound footing who intend to take a socio-legal approach to their dissertation.
Ultimately, the aim is to support students to develop critical thinking skills in order to become critical lawyers or critical legal scholars.
The aim is to expose students to different critical theoretical approaches to understanding the nature and function of law including Legal Realism, Feminist Legal Studies and Post colonisalism and the law
The module provides foundational knowledge for Level 5 modules such as Law in Action as well as Level 6 modules such as Gender, Sexuality and Law and Jurisprudence. Moreover, it gives students a sound footing who intend to take a socio-legal approach to their dissertation.
Ultimately, the aim is to support students to develop critical thinking skills in order to become critical lawyers or critical legal scholars.
Intended Learning Outcomes
evaluate key concepts and different theories relating to legal, political, and social institutions: 1
analyze the relationship between law and society to produce an independent and critical commentary: 1
apply different theoretical approaches to critique judgments and socio-legal research: 1
analyze how socio-legal concepts and theories and legal, political and social institutions inter-related with one another: 1
analyze the relationship between law and society to produce an independent and critical commentary: 1
apply different theoretical approaches to critique judgments and socio-legal research: 1
analyze how socio-legal concepts and theories and legal, political and social institutions inter-related with one another: 1
Study hours
20 hours lectures
6 hours tutorials
40 hours self directed study
84 hours critical commentary
Total = 150 hours
6 hours tutorials
40 hours self directed study
84 hours critical commentary
Total = 150 hours
School Rules
None
Description of Module Assessment
2,000 word Critical Commentary
Library-based critical commentary at Level 4 (Year 1). In the commentary students will critically engage with a judgment or journal article drawing on at least one particular theoretical approach to law covered in the module. Students will have a choice of questions.