Law and Inequality

How does social welfare policy contribute to social (in)justice? Why does discrimination based on race face heightened scrutiny in court compared to gender? Does inequality cause crime? This course explores the intersection between sociology and the law with a focus on inequality. We will address the question: how does the law create and respond to inequality between people and groups? We will learn some legal doctrine throughout but we will prioritize examining a sociological theory of law and justice. This course takes an interdisciplinary approach using a variety of materials including judicial opinions, scholarly papers, and newspaper articles.