If you find any data displayed on this website that should be amended, please contact the Curriculum Management Team.
Module Title
LM Law, Society and Governance
School
Birmingham Law School
Department
Law
Module Code
08 38927
Module Lead
Dr Felix Torres
Level
Masters Level
Credits
20
Semester
Semester 2
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions
None
Exclusions
Description
The objective of this module is to explore relationships between law, society and governance from an international and comparative perspective. The module addresses some of the challenges facing contemporary societies – e.g., technological and data growth and inequality, rising poverty, socio-economic inequalities, global crime, depletion of natural resources, climate crisis, armed conflict – and explores the possibilities and limitations of law to resolve them at the national, international and transnational levels. The module considers the role of governance at this intersection between law and society, examining the processes through which state and non-state actors interact to design and/or implement legal frameworks and policies to address social challenges. In doing so, the module seeks to prompt a critical examination of the differences and similarities between law and governance, as well as the possibility of conflict and mutual reinforcement between them. It also reflects on the growing challenges facing state-centric legal regimes, such as public law or international law, in providing solutions in contexts where non-state actors are increasingly influential. The module engages with these issues by examining the interactions of non-state actors, state authorities and international organisations that have a mandate over the aforementioned social challenges – e.g., the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the International Labour Organisation, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, regional and international human rights bodies. The module draws on a combination of socio-legal studies, doctrinal and governance studies.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to:
Identify and analyse the crosscutting, competing and/or interdisciplinary ways in which socio-legal studies, doctrinal law and governance studies can be employed to address global issues.
Explain and evaluate the possibilities and limitations of law to deliver on social challenges from a transdisciplinary perspective.
Critically assess how law and governance relate to each other, including contexts where non-state actors are increasingly influential, and understand how this may affect state-centric regulatory systems.
Persuasively communicate an argument in writing in relation to their engagement with the concepts, debates and assessments of the main ideas in the module.
Undertake independent research and reading demonstrating use of relevant legal sources, legal databases and materials.
Assessment
38927-01 : Essay : Coursework (100%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions
Assessment: One 5,000-word essay (100%) Reassessment: Resit failed component(s)
