European Ways of Law - Towards a European Sociology of Law

Can there be such a thing as a European sociology of law? The uncertainties which arise when attempting to answer that straightforward question are the subject of this book, which also overlaps into comparative law, legal history, and legal philosophy. The richness of approaches reflected in the essays (including comparisons with the US) makes this volume a courageous attempt to show the present state of socio- legal studies in Europe and map directions for its future development. Certainly we already know something about the existence of differences in the use and meaning of law within and between the nation states and groups that make up the European Union. They concern the role of judges and lawyers, the use of courts, patterns of delay, contrasts in penal ''sensibilities'', or the meanings of underlying legal and social concepts. Still, similarities in ''legal culture'' are at least as remarkable in societies at roughly similar levels of political and economic development. The volume should serve as a needed stimulus to a research agenda aimed at uncovering commonalities and divergences in European ways of approaching the law.>

About the author

Volkmar Gessner was Professor of Sociology of Law and Comparative Law at the Law Faculty and Head of Department at the University of Bremen, Germany.David Nelken is Professor of Comparative and Transnational Law and past Vice-Dean for Research at King’s College London, UK. Widely published in sociology of law and in criminology, he has received awards from the American Sociological Association, the American Society of Criminology, the International Sociological Association, and the (USA) Law and Society Association. He has twice been a Trustee of the LSA and Vice-President of the RSCL.

Product details

• Authors: Volkmar Gessner, Volkmar Nelken Gessner, David Nelken
• Assisted by: Volkmar Gessner (Editor), Gessner Volkmar (Editor), David Nelken (Editor), Professor David Nelken (Editor)
• Publisher: Hart Publishing
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 30.10.2007
• EAN: 9781841137773
• ISBN: 978-1-84113-777-3
• No. of pages: 408
• Dimensions: 156 mm x 234 mm x 32 mm
• Series: Onati International Series in; Onati International Series in Law and Society; Onati International Series in; Oñati International Series in Law and Society
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Law > Civil law, civil procedural law; SOCIAL SCIENCE / Sociology / General, LAW / General, EU (European Union), Laws of specific jurisdictions and specific areas of law, Laws Of Specific Jurisdictions, Law & society, Law and society, sociology of law