ReseaRch Quality assuRance foR the futuRe a ... - Lund University

Panel 6 – social SCIENCEs
as well as to law. Normative patterns are basic to an understanding of
society, and legal regulations are norms. The concept of “norm” may be
and has been analysed in depth both by lawyers and sociologists. It goes
to the core of both disciplines, thus creating a very relevant “bridge”
between the two into sociology of law. A large number of key problems in
the sociology of law may be seen in the light of norms: Legal cultures in
different contexts; juridification or legalization of social relationships and
institutions; legal pluralism; law, power and repression; law as a means of
counteracting repression; and so on. A concentration on norms provides
coherence and theoretical meeting ground for staff and students in a
subject which, with small size, might easily become fragmented. At the
same time, it triggers a whole vista of interesting research problems. The
norm perspective as described is not developed as a formal model, which
could easily become stifling, but as a theme which goes to the heart of the
matter in law and sociology alike, thus permeating both disciplines, and
which ignites theory and research. But the list of references in 2.5–2.8
shows that there is also openness to other approaches. The unit seems well
aware of this important point.
Being interdisciplinary, the department collaborates with several other
departments in Lund inside and outside the faculty, and with law and social
science disciplines in a number of other Swedish centres of learning.
It collaborates with the International Institute for Sociology of Law in
Onati (Spain) and with universities in Italy and Poland. Its national and
international standing is very high, with new cooperative relationships
coming up.
3.3 Assessment
Strengths include, paradoxically, the size of the unit. To repeat, it is a
small unit, making it possible for the highly professionalized and competent
staff to interact well. Among other strengths is unit’s emphasis on
interdisciplinary national and international contacts. A weakness is that
it is, also because of small size, vulnerable to sudden personnel changes
and exhaustion of researchers. Our opinion is that sociology of law
in Lund could well use a larger staff without endangering the positive
aspects of small size. It would be a responsibility of the University to
increase size to an optimal level. The opportunities of the unit are great,
especially through its contacts with law and well as sociology, which, to
repeat, open a whole vista of important research problems – important
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