Which came first Law or Society?

2 Articles to discuss: One from Lawrence Friedman and the other from Susan Sibley. Each author explains the legal system and its functions within society as a whole. The field of Law and Society seems to be a study of this relationship and an ongoing attempt at contextualizing legal systems and practices within society.

Friedman seems to feel that while the field shows promise, a new framing of practice is necessary for it to be taken seriously or to be effective. Sibley, on the other hand, is much more assured of the field in its current state and even argues that it is the only field that appropriately acknowledges law as a social system.

Both articles fit in well with the reading of Order Without Law. Both Sibley and Friedman seem to be tackling the same issues as Ellickson, yet from a different angle.

Ellickson, Robert C. (1991). Order without Law: How Neighbors Settle Disputes. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.

Friedman, Lawrence, M. "The Law and Society Movement". The Stanford Law Review. Vol. 38. No. 3. p. 763-780.

Sibley, Susan S. "Law and Society Movement" Legal Systems of the World: A Political, Social, and Cultural Encyclopedia. Kritzer, Herbert. Santa Barbara: ABC CLIO