This book proposes the study of norms as a method of explaining human choice and behaviour by introducing a new scientific perspective. The science of norms may here be broadly understood as a social science which includes elements from both the behavioural and legal sciences. It is given that a science of norms is not normative in the sense of prescribing what is right or wrong in various situations. Compared with legal science, sociology of law has an interest in the operational side of legal rules and regulation. This book develops a synthesizing social science approach to better understand societal development in the wake of the increasingly significant digital technology. The underlying idea is that norms as expectations today are not primarily related to social expectations emanating from human interactions but come from systems that mankind has created for fulfilling its needs. Today the economy, via the market, and technology via digitization, generate stronger and more frequent expectations than the social system. By expanding the sociological understanding of norms, the book makes comparisons between different parts of society possible and creates a more holistic understanding of contemporary society. The book will be of interest to academics and researchers in the areas of sociology of law, legal theory, philosophy of law, sociology and social psychology.

The present volume has been planned and prepared in meetings of the Research Committee for the Sociology of Law of the International Sociological Association at the initiative of its chairman, Renato Treves, who also took upon himself editorial responsibility. The first edition of the volume appeared in Italian under the title La socioZogia deZ diritto. ProbZemi e ricerche. It was published in Milano, August I966. The present English edition has the same contents as the Italian volume with the addition of a concluding chapter by J an Glastra van Loon. This publication was undertaken with the purpose of presenting a survey of recent trends in sociology of law in various countries of the world. We hope that the growing interest in the discipline, as evidenced by the large number of publications issued since the Italian edition of this volume, * may be considered as justification for this undertaking. J. v. L. R. T. * We should like to refer to the Law and Society Review published in the United States, to the issue of Acta Sociologica, September 1966, devoted to sociology of law, and finally to the many papers submitted to and discussed at the meetings of the Research Committee for the Sociology of Law during the VIth World Congress of Sociology at Evian. INTRODUCTION by RENATO TREVES I. The sociology 0/ law in its traditional sense and in its more recent developments. Origin and obfects 0/ this work.

In an era where new areas of life and new problems call for normative solutions while the plurality of values in society challenge the very basis for normative solutions, this book looks at a growing field of research on the relations between social and legal norms. New technologies and social media offer new ways to communicate about normative issues and the centrality of formal law and how normativity comes about is a question for debate. This book offers empirical and theoretical research in the field of social and legal norms and will inspire future debate and research in terms of internationalization and cross-national comparative studies. It presents a consistent picture of empirical research in different social and organizational areas and will deepen the theoretical understanding regarding the interplay between social and legal norms. Including chapters written from four different aspects of normativity, the contributors argue that normativity is a result of combinations between law in books, law in action, social norms and social practice. The book uses a variety of different international examples, ranging from Sweden, Uzbekistan, Colombia and Mexico. Primarily aimed at scholars in sociology of law, socio-legal studies, law and legal theory, the book will also interest those in sociology, political science and psychology.

The innovative and revolutionary scholarship of the eminent Austrian legal theorist and professor of Roman law, Eugen Ehrlich (1862-1922), is of a very high caliber. His work has not only held its place well in view of what legal theory, especially sociological legal theory, has to offer, but is also still a powerful challenge to positions in legal theory that are no longer defensible. The sociology of law has followed in a direct line of succession from Ehrlich's observations and ideas as a new and special discipline linking jurisprudence with sociology.

The innovative and revolutionary scholarship of the eminent Austrian legal theorist and professor of Roman law, Eugen Ehrlich (1862-1922) is of a very high caliber. His work has not only held its place well in view of what legal theory, especially sociological legal theory, has to offer, but is also still a powerful challenge to positions in legal theory that are no longer defensible. The sociology of law has followed in a direct line of succession from Ehrlich's observations and ideas as a new and special discipline linking jurisprudence with sociology. Because Ehrlich's texts in English have long been unavailable, many of his ideas, while commonplace in sociological research and theory, are not commonly attributed to his work. The new introduction by Klaus Ziegert addresses some of the reasons Ehrlich has been overlooked in the literature. In so doing, Siegert to sketches the context in which Ehrlich worked and discusses his major tenets. Among the topics covered in Ziegert's substantial introduction to this volume is the current relevance of Ehrlich's work. He also addresses the key issues in socio-legal theory and methodology, which were touched upon by Ehrlich and are still very much at the cutting edge of socio-legal research and a sociological theory of law. This book will be of keen interest to students of sociological theory and law.

Few would dispute the notion that law has a tremendous impact on modern life. But social scientists who study the dynamics of family, work, and other important social institutions often ignore the pervasive influence of law. This introduction to the legal world and the sociology of law shows how social scientists can better account for the influences of legal issues in a wide range of social settings. Incorporating historical and cross-cultural research into her book, Lisa J. McIntyre explains the general effects of law on interpersonal relations, the concept of the civil contract, and the relationship between law and social norms. She discusses why some societies and domains within societies have more law than others and shows that, contrary to popular wisdom, law is not only a reflection of social values but also fundamental to the formation of those values.