Context and Convergence: Some Remarks on the Law and Society Movement

The law and society movement has grown greatly in recent years. It explores two macro-questions: the sources of law, on the one hand, and the impact of law, on the other. It rejects the orthodox view of "legal science", but embraces the methods of the social sciences. My own work has, recently, dealt with the issue of legal impact; and has also delved into socio-legal history. Historical study can act as a kind of control group for law and society studies; comparative and cross--cultural studies can perform the same function. Studies of modern legal system demonstrate a high degree of convergence--in an interconnected world, societies share both problems and solutions. Socio-legal studies themselves have converged; and share a common intellectual language. Full text also available via Informit