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Sociology College of Social Sciences & Interdisciplinary Studies

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Law & Society Minor

Description

The new Law and Society Minor in Sociology moves beyond the abstract study of legal rules and doctrines to investigate the dynamic relationship between law and the social world. Rather than focusing solely on "law on the books," this field is dedicated to understanding "law in action": how social forces shape laws, legal institutions, and the very concept of legality, and in turn, shape human behavior, beliefs, and social structures. It examines the real-world functioning of police, courts, and prisons; how lawyers and judges make decisions; why people and social movements obey or resist the law; and how legislation and court rulings ultimately impact society. Ultimately, this minor seeks to foster among our students a more critical, nuanced, and empirically grounded understanding of one of society's most powerful institutions through a sociological lens. It equips students to analyze how the law can both reinforce and challenge social inequalities, serve as a tool for social change or a mechanism of social control, and have its legitimacy constructed and contested in everyday life. This knowledge is invaluable not only for those pursuing careers in law, public policy, social justice, research, or sociology but for any engaged citizen seeking to comprehend the intricate and often hidden ways in which the legal system structures our social world and our lives within it.

Questions the Minor Seeks to Answer

  1. How can we define the concept of "law" in a way that accounts for different forms across cultures and history?
  2. How do we move beyond a Western perspective to understand the social origins of law and its profound power to shape human thought and behavior? 
  3. How do people navigate disputes and injustices in their everyday lives? What does the frequent avoidance of official legal channels reveal about the system's accessibility and legitimacy?  
  4. What determines the real-world impact of legal action?  
  5. When individuals engage with the legal system, what are the actual outcomes, and how do they differ from the law's ideal promises? 

How to apply

  1. First, review the list of course requirements;
  2. Second, complete this form once you complete all the courses (18 units);
  3. Third, meet with Soc Chair (Dr. Heidy Sarabia) or Advisor (Dr. Amalia Perez Martin) to get the advisor and/or chair signature;
  4. Finally, submit the form to the Dean of Undergraduate and Graduate Studies, by email to ugs@csus.edu, who will approve or disapprove the course of study.
  5. Please note that a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 on all course work completed to this point (when application is submitted) is required for special minors.

Total Units Required for Minor completion: 18 units

Required Lower Division Courses (choose one of the following) (3 units):

  • SOC 3 - Social Problems (GE Area 4)
  • SOC 8 - Sense and Nonsense in Social Issues and Research (GE Area 1B & Area 4)
  • SOC 10  - Issues in Crime and Soc Control - 3 Units (GE Area 4)
  • SOC 96A - Public Sociology (GE Second Semester English Composition)

Required Upper Division Course (3 units)

  • SOC 159 - Sociology of Law - 3 Units  

Upper Division Elective Courses (12 units):

Sociological Criminology Issues (Choose two of the following) (6 units)

  • SOC 155 - Criminology - 3 Units (GE Area 4) 
  • SOC 156 - Delinquency - 3 Units (GE Area 4)
  • SOC 157 - Issues in Courts and Prison (3 units) 
  • SOC 158 - Sociology of Deviance (3 Units)

Inequality and Social Justice Issues (Choose two of the following) (6 units)

  • SOC 106 - Birth, Deaths, and Borders (3 units) (GE Area 4) 
  • SOC 118:- Chicano Community (3 units) (GE Race and Ethnicity & GE Area 4) 
  • SOC 120 - Ethnic and Race Relations (3 units)(GE Race and Ethnicity & Area 4) 
  • SOC 122 - Immigration Studies (3 Units)
  • SOC 123 – Black Studies Sociology (3 Units)  
  • SOC 124 - Social Justice in Interdisciplinary Perspective (3 Units) (crosslisted)
  • SOC 125 - Social Inequalities (Core – 3 units) 
  • SOC 136 - Social Movements (3 units) 
  • SOC 138 - Environmental Sociology (3 units)  (crosslisted)
  • SOC 129 - Change and Migration in Latin America  (3 units) (GE Area 3)
  • SOC 140 - Sociology of Education (3 Units)
  • SOC 145 - Medical Sociology (3 units)
  • SOC 160 - Asian Societies (3 units) (GE Area 3)
  • SOC 162 - Middle Eastern Societies and Cultures  (3 units)
  • SOC 176 - Labor and the American Social Structure (3 units) (GE Writing Intensive)
  • SOC 195 – Sociology Internship and Fieldwork (3 units) (student must enroll 3 units and be placed at a law-related community organization listed at CEC Connect under the following focus areas: advocacy and human rights, civic engagement, inclusion and social justice, restorative justice)