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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: October 9, 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.

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Week 6: Week of October 7, 2007

October 15th through October 22nd -- First Meetings. If you do not have your "First Meeting" scheduled, see me ASAP!!.

Wednesday, October 24th -- Midterm Visual Projects due

Friday, October 26th -- Last Day to Drop a Semester-long Class

Topic: Theoretical Perspectives: Marxism/Law, Status, Wealth & Power

Preparatory Readings

• Bonsignore . Before the Law. only Chapter 5.
  
  
• 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:



• "Who's Habermas? Why Habermas?"
• W.I. Thomas "Definition of the Situation
  
  
• Those Infamous Grades and Letters of Recommendation
• "The Case Against Gold Stars" by Alfie Kohn.

Concepts to be covered:



• Marxism
• Karl Marx
• bourgeoisie
• proletariat
• lumpenproletariat
• class consciousness
• false consciousness
• the underclass
• revolution
• capitalism
• infrastructure
• superstructure
• exploitation
• alienation
• conflict theory
• Richard Quinney



Discussion Questions:

Note: In order to answer these questions, you must do the assigned readings for this week.

1. Do sentencing criteria discriminate against the lower-class offenders? Are the factors relevant in determining sentences the same as those denoting "success" in society? To what extent does the achievement of success in society result from the prior achievement of status, wealth, and power by one's family or by happening to be born into the "right environment"? (Bonsignore, p.120, Q. 2).
2. What contemporary questions are suggested by the investigation of slavery? Can modern-day roles be placed in the paradigm of masters, overseers, drivers, and slaves? (Bonsignore, p. 123, Q.2).
3. What modern-day parallels do you see to the driver-slave relationship? What difficulties would there be for slavery or for the modern organization were there no such relationships? Compare the position of the driver with the position of the doorkeeper in Kafka's parable "Before the Law." (Bonsignore, p. 124, Q.3).
4. The judge seems to be saying at the end of his opinion that the result is legally correct, but ethically wrong. What rules of law kept him from reaching the opposite conclusion? What interests stand to benefit most from such rules of law? (Bonsignore, p. 131, Q. 1).
5. At the most General Motors stood to pay $23,600 to Streich. So why all the commotion and high-priced legal talent? (Bonsignore, p. 132, Q. 6).
6. Should the phrase "wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment" be broad enough to include bargaining about plant closings? (Bonsignore, p. 137, Q.2).
7. ... Using the various readings found in this chapter, evaluate the Marxian thesis. (Bonsignore, p. 150, Q.4).




Suggested Creative Measures/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). A bibliography must be attached to your visual presentation. No term papers! Allow time to dialogue and present your creative measure in class. Email me your ideas ASAP.



• Explore the issues surrounding today's homeless.
• Examine what is considered "poverty level." Calculate a budget of how to feed a family of four for one month at "poverty level."
• Study an issue from a social class perspective: sports, education, work, leisure, religion, and so forth. What are the social class differences. Why.



Recommended Readings:

• Jeffrey Reiman. The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison. [if you are not reading this book for another course]
• Anthony Platt . Child Savers.
  

  --- 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