Bachelor degree.

An introductory course in Sociology of Law is an advantage.

Students who have followed the course “Perspectives on Law and Society” cannot follow this course.

The course provides an overview of the structural relations between law and society. The purpose of the course is to give knowledge about different sociological theoretical schools’ engagement with the law, power, legal institutions and professions in national and international settings. The students obtain skills to examine quantitatively the structural mechanisms structuring the organization of the state, legal institutions and their legitimization. The modern state is organized through law. Not only does criminal law regulate our behaviour, but we are dependent on the framework of law when we enter into agreements; when we buy and sell entities; when we make claims against each other and when we establish organizations or assert political power. Moreover the students gain skills to evaluate the impact of different power hierarchies, professions and expert knowledge on the organization of the state, legal institutions and law. The course gives competence to uncover the hidden structures structuring the architecture of the modern state. Moreover the course gives competence to study complex fields which requires new methodological approaches.

In addition the course gives competence to participate in meetings on the distance just as it gives both written and oral competences .

The course is related to the other social sciences courses, including Naming, Claiming and Freming Access to Justice, Law in Practice and Legal Consciousness, Sociology of Law: Theory and research Issues, and Sociology of European Law.

This course investigates how macrostructures of society shapes the state, legal institutions and the law by asking:

After participating in the course, the student should be able to:

The literature will be extracts from selected sociologists and legal theorists. The literature will consist of both primary and secondary literature. Syllabus will be available on the student web-page at latest 14 days before course begins.

Every second semester (Autumn).

2 hours per week in 15 weeks + one-day seminar of 6-hour duration, in total 36 hours

The course is offered online as a virtual classroom.

The course includes podcasts of classic theoretical approaches, case/problem-based lessons with a teacher using the virtual classroom in Adobe Connect (an online meeting space for synchronous/real-time learning activities) and e-learning lessons on Blackboard.

1 ECTS is equivalent to 27 working hours. An estimated retail distribution of the workload of the average student can be in the following way:

Activity	Hours
Lectures and seminar	36
Preparation for lectures and presentations	146
Preparation for exam	68
Exam	20
Total	270

Ordinary examination in January. Re-examination in February.

Participation in re-examination requires that you have participated in the examination in January.

None.

Synopsis and written assignment.

The exam contains two elements: Synopsis writing and a written assignment.

1. Mandatory synopsis writing, mandatory student presentation and discussions

Duration: Date for submission will appear from the examination plan.

Location: Home assignment.

Internet Access: Necessary.

Hand out: - (not relevant)

Hand in: Via SDU-assignment in the course page in Blackboard.

Extent: No limitations.

Exam Aids: All exam aids allowed.

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2. Individual 48 hours written assignment:

Duration: 48 hours. Date for submission will appear from the examination plan.

Location: Home assignment.

Internet Access: Necessary

Hand Out: Course page in Blackboard

Hand In: Via SDUassignment in the course page in Blackboard.

Extent: In agreement with the teacher

Exam Aids: All exam aids allowed. The Students are not allowed to communicate with each other.

One grade is given.

The course is offered online as a virtual classroom.

To follow the course the student must have internet access (min. 2 Mbit download), access to a Windows or Mac computer connected to a webcam and also have a headset with built-in earphones and microphone (we recommend an USB-headset).

------------------------------- Political science

All semesters, elective. Offered in: Odense (possibility for taking the course on the distance). Social science All semesters, elective. Offered in: Odense (possibility for taking the course on the distance). cand.merc. International Business and Law All semesters, elective. Offered in: Odense (possibility for taking the course on the distance).