| Special Workshop Title: | Law and Social Theory |
| Author: | Reza Banakar, University of Westminster, London |
| Paper Title: | Law and Social Theory |
| Abstract: | The sociology of law is a field of research placed at the intersection of the disciplines of law and sociology, each of which conceptualises social life in its own way. Pulled apart by the academic momentum of these two disciplines, it expresses many of its insights in dichotomous terms such as ‘law on the books’ and ’law in action’, ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ law or ‘internal’ and ‘external’ legal cultures. This paper argues that some of these dichotomies, which initially served analytical ends and promoted clarity of thought, are empirically misleading, for they neglect the interdependence of the dual manifestations of law. Although, we cannot completely avoid the employment of such dichotomies, we can nonetheless bring awareness of their limitations to socio-legal research. This study also suggests ways of utilising these dichotomies in a theoretically constructive fashion to vitalise and intensify the domain of socio-legal discourse. |
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