1.07 Law, Society and Politics in Comparative Perspective
Language of instruction: English
Course type: Subject course
Contact hours: 48 (6 per day)
Course days: see class schedule
ECTS credits: 6
Course fee: € 1,300
| 🌍 Critical global issues addressed in this course: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (SDG 16) |
Course Description
This course explores theoretical and historical perspectives on the intersection of law, society and politics, and aims to foster discussion of contemporary issues among students from different cultures and disciplines. Alongside an introduction to comparative law and legal culture, we read some classical social theorists (Durkheim, Weber and Marx), look at a more contemporary perspective (Bourdieu), and consider their relevance to contemporary debates about morality, (dis)obedience, conflict, and property. The course invites students to apply these analytical lenses to their own legal and political systems and share their insights in class discussion.
We will use these foundations to investigate the role and operation of law in totalitarian settings such as Nazi and Communist Germany, as well as across contemporary political regimes and societies. Excursions around Berlin will help students gain insight into ordinary citizens’ lived experience of the law during times of political turmoil and how state institutions have wrestled with the legacy of these eras.
Throughout the course students will be asked to consider: 1) how law plays multiple and complex roles in society and politics; 2) the functions of state and non-state legal institutions and actors; and 3) how an individual’s position in society affects his or her experiences, values, and choices. Students not only gain substantive expertise in various socio- and politico-legal fields, but also develop communicative competence through participatory exercises, and intercultural competence through discussion with other students.