How can anthropological concepts be applied to study the law? Be it through non-Western legal and law-like systems (such as dispute resolution in tribal societies), or our own institutions (such as courtrooms and prisons), legal anthropologists have sought to understand the complex relationships between law and society/culture. In this course, we will examine major themes and trends in legal anthropology, with a particular focus on the anthropology of human rights. Beginning with ethnographic studies of non-Western systems, we then shift to examine Western legal institutions, including Guantanamo Bay litigation, United Nations proceedings, and torture. Next, we cover topics such as human rights, legal consciousness, and the relationship between law and language (sociolinguistics), finally ending with how anthropology interfaces with law beyond the academy. While not a methods course, throughout we also discuss some of the realities and ethics of doing fieldwork in legal settings.
3 units · Letter or Credit/No Credit · GER: WAY-EDP, WAY-ER
How can anthropological concepts be applied to study the law? Be it through non-Western legal and law-like systems (such as dispute resolution in tribal societies), or our own institutions (such as courtrooms and prisons), legal anthropologists have sought to understand the complex relationships between law and society/culture. In this course, we will examine major themes and trends in legal anthropology, with a particular focus on the anthropology of human rights. Beginning with ethnographic studies of non-Western systems, we then shift to examine Western legal institutions, including Guantanamo Bay litigation, United Nations proceedings, and torture. Next, we cover topics such as human rights, legal consciousness, and the relationship between law and language (sociolinguistics), finally ending with how anthropology interfaces with law beyond the academy. While not a methods course, throughout we also discuss some of the realities and ethics of doing fieldwork in legal settings.
Offered in Autumn 2026 at Stanford University.