Researching Law in Society

Empirical studies provide the background for many of the generalizations and conclusions reached about law and society in the preceding chapters. This chapter discusses how sociologists and other social scientists carry out such studies by describing some of the ways they research law and the methods they use to arrive at their findings. This chapter also demonstrates the significance and applicability of sociological research to the formulation, instrumentation, and evaluation of social policy. The chapter’s central aim is to provide an exposure to the strategies used in the study of the interplay between law and society and to highlight the methodological concerns and complexities inherent in such endeavors.