The Blackwell Companion to Law and Society is an authoritative study of the relationship between law and social interaction. Thirty-two original essays by an international group of expert scholars examine a wide range of critical questions. Authors represent various theoretical, methodological, and political commitments, creating the first truly global overview of the field.

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• Examines the relationship between law and social interactions in thirty-three original essay by international experts in the field.
  
• Reflects the world-wide significance of North American law and society scholarship.
  
• Addresses classical areas and new themes in law and society research, including: the gap between law on the books and law in action; the complexity of institutional processes; the significance of new media; and the intersections of law and identity.
  
• Engages the exciting work now being done in England, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, South Africa, Israel, as well as "Third World" scholarship.

• The Blackwell Companion to Law and Society 2
  • Contents 10
  • Preface 13
  • List of Contributors 16
  • 1 Vitality Amidst Fragmentation: On the Emergence of Postrealist Law and Society Scholarship 26
  • PART I PERSPECTIVES ON THE HISTORY AND SIGNIFICANCE OF LAWAND SOCIETY RESEARCH 38
    • 2 Law in Social Theory and Social Theory in the Study of Law 40
    • 3 Profession, Science, and Culture: An Emergent Canon of Law and Society Research 55
  • PART II THE CULTURAL LIFE OF LAW 86
    • 4 The Work of Rights and the Work Rights Do: A Critical Empirical Approach 88
    • 5 Consciousness and Ideology 105
    • 6 Law in Popular Culture 120
    • 7 Comparing Legal Cultures 138
  • PART III INSTITUTIONS AND ACTORS 154
    • 8 The Police and Policing 156