Law and the Web of Society

From birth certificates and marriage licenses to food safety regulations and speed limits, law shapes nearly every moment of our lives. Ubiquitous and ambivalent, the law is charged with both maintaining social order and protecting individual freedom. In this book, Cynthia L. Cates and Wayne V. McIntosh explore this ambivalence and document the complex relationship between the web of law and everyday life.

They consider the forms and functions of the law, charting the American legal structure and judicial process, and explaining key legal roles. They then detail how it influences the development of individual identity and human relationships at every stage of our life cycle, from conception to the grave. The authors also use the word "web" in its technological sense, providing a section at the end of each chapter that directs students to relevant and useful Internet sites.

Written for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students in law and society courses, Law and the Web of Society contains original research that also makes it useful to scholars. In daring to ask difficult questions such as "When does life begin?" and "Where does law begin?" this book will stimulate thought and debate even as it presents practical answers.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Georgetown University Press
Published: 07/31/2001
ISBN: 9780878408603
Pages: 272
Weight: 1.58lbs
Size: 11.02h x 8.62w x 0.65d

Review Citations: Reference and Research Bk News 02/01/2002 pg. 161
Univ PR Books for Public Libry 01/01/2002 pg. 33 - Strongly Recommended