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California State University, Dominguez Hills
University of Wisconsin, Parkside
Soka University Japan - Transcend Art and Peace
Created: July 27, 2003
Latest Update: August 29, 2007
jeannecurran@habermas.org
takata@uwp.edu

CRMJ/SOCA 359 Law and Society

You will be held accountable for the readings and discussion questions listed here. There will be no "testing." That means that you will not have to live in anxious anticipation of what we will ask and how much you will have to know. Instead, we will provide weekly discussion questions, lectures, essays, and concepts we feel that you should know as a result of having taken this course. You will assure us of that learning and receive your grade for the questions and concepts about which you choose to write and talk with us. In addition you will find detailed explanations and examples on our grading policies in the first week's reading.

* * * * *

Week 1: Week of September 2, 2007

Optional Dear Habermas Workshop - Wednesday, September 12th, 12 noon to 1 p.m. in the microcomputing classroom (D1 level in the library).

Topic: Introduction

Preparatory Readings

• Preface
• "Who's Habermas? Why Habermas?"
  
  
• Bonsignore . Before the Law. Preface, Introduction, Foreword
• Bellow and Minow. Law Stories. -- .
• Curran and Takata. Sociology of Law Handbook:
  -- Introduction
  -- Chapter 1, part 1
  -- Chapter 1, part 2
  -- Chapter 2
  
  

Lecture related links:



• W.I. Thomas "Definition of the Situation
  
  

Concepts to be covered:



• law
• the relationship between law and society



Discussion Questions:

Note: In order to answer these discussion questions, you will need to read Bonsignore's Foreword.

1. What is Kafka telling you about the law? (p.xiv, Q.1)
2. What are the priest arguing about? Is there a difference between winning an argument and being right? (p.xviii, Q.2)
3. According to Kafka, what is the central problem of law and what are the obstacles to its resolution? (p. xx, Q.1)
4. In what sense are doorkeepers and lawyers couriers? In what sense are they kings? To whom or to what do they owe their "oaths of service"? Could they revoke their oaths? (p.xxi, Q. 3)
5. You have considered several writings from Kafka on law. What is Kafka's position on law, legal order and its effects? (p.xxi, Q.4)




Suggested Visual Projects:




Note: Start thinking about ideas for your creative measures. Must relate to "law and society." Must be approved before starting your creative measure. Cannot be something that you are doing or have done for another course. Research cannot be 100% online (i.e., google, askjeeves). Must conduct library research using scholarly works, (not the popular press -- Time Magazine, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated). You will need to submit a bibliography with each project. No term papers! Allow time to dialogue and present your creative measure in class. Email me your ideas ASAP!





Recommended Readings:




--- Jurgen Habermas. Between Facts and Norms.
--- Martha Minow. Making All the Difference: Exclusion, Inclusion and American Law. Check out this link Martha Minow on the Dear Habermas site.

Course Syllabus for CRMJ/SOCA 359 "Law and Society"

takata@uwp.edu