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  Prospectuses 2012-2013
Radboud universityProspectusesFaculty of Law > Courses in English

Anthropology of Law 

For additional information, please visit the ECTS Information Guide or contact
Course ID
SOW-CAB3008
Credits
7
Scheduled
period 1
Teaching methods
The course consists of 10 two-hour lectures. Each lecture has its own subject and consists of a presentation by a lecturer and discussion. Students are expected to prepare for the lectures by reading designated literature, and to actively participate in discussions. Throughout the course, students are expected to submit three short (1,500 words max) reflective/analytical essays on selected subjects which count for the final mark
The introductory character of the course makes it accessible not only for students of law or anthropology, but also for students of sociology, development studies, public administration, philosophy, history, etc.
Pre-requisites
There are no prerequisites for this course, nor are students expected to have other background knowledge than that of their discipline.
Contents
Anthropology of Law is a discipline within the larger group of law and society studies which focuses on the role of law in all its shapes in society. Traditionally, the focus of anthropology of law is on the internal, often unwritten law (‘customary law') of minority population groups and its relation to the law of the state in mostly, but not exclusively, non-Western societies. In today's globalized world, however, the focus has shifted more to the interaction between state and non-state normativities: thus including the exotic and the customary as well as the rules of conduct of banks and the behaviour of street gangs.
The purpose of the course is to widen the understanding of ‘law' by analysing different normative orders, their social significance and their relation to legal doctrines. The ‘normative universe' of a given society is not static, but as much adapting under the influence of ongoing socio-political and economic developments as national law is. The course takes the theme of the mutual influencing of normative systems (state vs non-state) as its base point, and explores these in such diverse social settings as indigenous peoples, religious groups, (Western) subcultures, national identities, and the relation between local circumstances and global ‘law'.
The first, introductory part of the course is devoted to a concise history of the development of the discipline; some of its major trends, theories, and paradigms as well as research methodology and approaches.
The main part of the course is concerned with the exploration of interaction and conflict between various legal systems around the world (notably international law, national state law and non-state normative systems). Themes include the relation between law and national identity, codification of customary law, local application of international treaties, the opportunities and problems created by the merger of law and culture, competing international networks, and local meanings of global law. These themes are linked to the work of present day lawyers, development workers and anthropologists working in an international environment, and are elaborated using examples from Southeast Asia, Africa, Tibet, North America, Australia, Italy and the Netherlands.
Examination
A written examination on the literature and lectures will take place at the end of the course. Fulfilment of the writing assignments counts as part of the exam results.
Literature
Various articles which will be made available during the lectures.