Courses in Law & Society

This course examines the law, legal profession and legal institutions from a variety of traditional social-science perspectives. The primary frames of reference are sociological and social psychological. The objective of the course is to expose students to a variety of interdisciplinary perspectives on law and to encourage the examination of law-related phenomena through the literature of multiple disciplines. Topics to be covered include law as a social institution, law as a social-control mechanism, a history of law in the United States, the U.S. criminal justice system, philosophies of law, law and psychology, comparative legal cultures, and law and social change. This survey course is intended to encourage and facilitate a critical study of law in society and serve as a foundation from which to pursue the study of law and legal issues in other curricular offerings. This interdisciplinary course does not count toward the completion of any diversification requirement. This is required for the law and society concentration. No prerequisite. Sophomore standing. Offered every fall.

“Crimmigration law” refers to the intersection between criminal and immigration law. Assumptions, myths and misinformation about U.S. immigration and immigrants lead to routine and increasingly criminalizing forms of "othering" in political debates, news stories and daily conversations. At the same time, U.S. immigration and immigrants have been, are and will continue to be an essential and vibrant part of this country’s experience.

The aim of this course is to promote an accurate, holistic and empathetic understanding of U.S. immigration and immigrants while also understanding how legal systems punish, detain, and deport immigrants based on their legal status. We begin by discussing introductory terminology and background related to crimmigration law. Afterward, this course is broken down into three main parts: enforcement, detention, and deportation.

First, we consider who migrates, how the state functions as an exclusionary gatekeeper, and how incremental changes to immigration law enforcement converge with the broader history of immigrants’ criminalization, surveillance and racialization. Second, we turn to domestic and global practices of immigrant detention, comparing them to practices of criminal incarceration as well as arguments for abolition. Third, we look at the origins and current practices of deportation in the U.S., with specific attention paid to immigration court procedure, substantive justice and avenues for reform and resistance. There is no exam in this course; instead, students will write a five-page midterm paper and 10-12-page final paper. This counts toward the course requirement for the Law & Society concentration “examining law as a social institution.” Prerequisite: LGLS 110. Offered spring semester of every year.

This course has been designed as a discussion course with a series of mini-research assignments. The course focuses on the role and contributions of sociology and the social sciences to the conceptualization of law and legal policymaking. Course materials will draw upon research performed primarily within the context of the American civil and criminal justice system. We also will examine some prevalent notions about what law is or should be, legal behavior and practices, and justifications for resorting to law to solve social problems. Through the use of mini-research assignments, students will gain an appreciation for the complexity and far-reaching impact that the social sciences have upon social policymaking and legal policymaking as well as the difficulty of determining or measuring law and its impact. This course is highly recommended for students participating in the John W. Adams Summer Scholars Program in Socio-legal Studies. This counts toward the methods requirement for the sociology major as equivalent to SOCY 271. This interdisciplinary course does not count toward the completion of any diversification requirement. No prerequisite. Sophomore standing. Offered every other year.

The Law & Society Program's approach to the individual study course (IS) option is to emphasize flexibility while maintaining the academic integrity of the program's curriculum. The specific details of an IS course plan are to be negotiated between and among the students, faculty members and the program chair. IS courses may be offered within the Law & Society Program upon the request of a qualified student, depending primarily upon faculty interest and availability to supervise the student applying to take such a course.

Individual Study courses taken within the Law & Society Program convene for one semester in duration and will constitute 0.25 or 0.50 units. As such, there is a general expectation that students will devote to the individual study, at a minimum, a number of hours substantially equivalent to that one would spend attending and preparing for a regular course.

Because students must enroll for individual studies by the end of the seventh class day of each semester, they should begin discussion of the proposed individual study preferably the semester before, so that there is time to devise the proposal and seek departmental approval before the registrar’s deadline. This interdisciplinary course does not count toward the completion of any diversification requirement.

This year’s senior seminar explores the intersection of law, technology, and society, with a focus on how technological advancements shape legal frameworks and vice versa. Drawing on key sociological theories, students will critically examine how new forms of surveillance, data collection, and algorithmic management challenge traditional legal structures and social norms. Students will engage in discussions, case studies, and written work that emphasize the sociological implications of law and technology in both contemporary and future contexts. Topics include artificial intelligence, worker privacy rights, bias and discretion in policing, and regulatory frameworks for big tech. This counts toward the requirement for Kenyon’s Law & Society concentration. Junior or senior standing. Prerequisite: two courses examining law as a social institution and LGLS 110. Offered spring semester of every year.

The Law & Society Program's approach to the individual study course (IS) option is to emphasize flexibility while maintaining the academic integrity of the program's curriculum. The specific details of an IS course plan are to be negotiated between and among the students, faculty members and the program chair. IS courses may be offered within the Law & Society Program upon the request of a qualified student, depending primarily upon faculty interest and availability to supervise the student applying to take such a course.

Individual Study courses taken within the Law & Society Program convene for one semester in duration and will constitute 0.25 or 0.50 units. As such, there is a general expectation that students will devote to the individual study, at a minimum, a number of hours substantially equivalent to that one would spend attending and preparing for a regular course.

Because students must enroll for individual studies by the end of the seventh class day of each semester, they should begin discussion of the proposed individual study preferably the semester before, so that there is time to devise the proposal and seek departmental approval before the registrar’s deadline. This interdisciplinary course does not count toward the completion of any diversification requirement.