Law and Society | Department of Sociology | The University of Vermont(title)

A nation of laws requires a nation of informed citizens.

Law and Society at UVM is an interdisciplinary program that blends faculty perspectives from sociology, political science, history, economics, and business, resulting in a deep exploration of the law and legal institutions in society. Although the minor is ideal for students in a variety of majors, it is especially relevant if you are considering a career in law, public service, criminal justice, or law enforcement.

This program is designed to promote student understanding of the contemporary and  historical relationship between American society’s social norms and values and its efforts to:

  • define and ensure the rights and responsibilities of its members, and control its members  informally and especially formally through legal institutions including all aspects of the criminal justice system;  
  • grasp the role of the American legal institutions both in shaping these norms and values and reflecting them as well as in legitimating and constraining the use of coercion and force in maintaining and creating social order; and
  • to begin to understand the complex social, political, economic, and historical contexts within which the life chances of diverse groups within American society are enhanced or diminished as a result of their interactions with legal institutions including various institutions of informal and formal social control.

Law & Society Minor Requirements
 

Contact for More Information

Alec Ewald

Associate Professor (2006)

Alec.Ewald@uvm.edu (802) 656-0263

American Politics and Constitutional Law. Current research is on the “collateral consequences” of criminal convictions