This is the core first-year subject for the Bachelor of Legal Studies and the major in Legal Studies. In it, students are introduced to Legal Studies as a dynamic interdisciplinary field of enquiry. Borrowing from the sociological concept of 'legal consciousness', students are encouraged to explore the myriad of ways people understand, relate to, practice and experience law, as individuals and as members of broader communities. The tools and insights of the social sciences are used to examine the role law plays in constituting social relations and its inseparability from cultural, economic and political contexts. Through consideration of key concepts such as 'citizenship' and 'the rule of law', and case studies concerning local and global issues such as the US civil rights movement, terrorism and gay marriage, students are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to understand and engage with law and contemporary legal and social issues.

Subject rules

Readings