Socio-Legal Studies in Context: The Oxford Centre Past and Future

This volume of essays celebrates 21 years of research by the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies in Oxford. Socio-legal studies in the United Kingdom was pioneered by the Oxford Centre, with the support of the Economic and Social Research Council and the University of Oxford. Over the course of 21 years, the Centre has produced major and innovative studies in a number of areas including: regulation, family policy, law and psychology, law and economics, and business and the law. While the face of socio-legal studies has changed over 21 years, the Oxford Centre remains at the heart of the field and will continue to provide leadership and inspiration to others working within it.This book brings together the reflections of leading scholars from around the world on the life and work of the Oxford Centre. They record how the pioneering studies carried out by the Centre have become a bench-mark for researchers, and how the discipline of socio-legal research has developed. The scholars writing in this volume pay tribute to the achievements of the Oxford Centre and its role in developing the subject of Socio-Legal Studies. The contributors are Paul Rock, Anthony Ogus, William Twining, Robert Cooter, Maureen Cain, Shari Diamond, Volkmar Gessner, Andras Sajo, Peter Fitzpatrick, Richard Abel, Michael Faure, Geoffrey Stephenson, Robert Kagan, and Stewart Macaulay.

1. Introduction: Denis J. Galligan (Oxford Centre for Socio-Legal Studies). 2. Sociology and the Stereotype of the Police: Paul Rock (London School of Economics). 3. A Critical Survey of Law and Economics in the UK and the role of the Oxford Centre: Anthony Ogus (University of Manchester). 4. Remembering 1972: The Oxford Centre in the Context of Developments in Higher Education and the Disciplines of Law: William Twining (University College London). 5. Horatio's Mistake: Maureen Cain (West Indies). 6. The Challenges of Socio-Legal Research: Shari Diamond 7. Global Approaches in the Sociology of Law: Volkmar Gessner (Bremen). 8. On Old and New Battles: Obstacles to the Role of Law in Eastern Europe: Andras Sajo (Central European University). 9. Being Social in Socio-Legal Studies: Peter Fitzpatrick (University of Kent). 10. Contested Communities: Richard Abel (UCLA). 11. The Future of Socio-Legal Research with Respect to Environmental Problems: Michael Faure (Limburg). 12. Geoffrey Stephenson (University of Kent). 13. What Socio-Legal Scholars should do when there is too much Law to Study: Robert Kagan (Berkeley). 14. The Last Word: Stewart Macauley (Wisconsin-Madison). Bibliography. Index.