LLM Socio-Legal Method

Students studying on the Birmingham CampusModule leader: Dr Rosie Harding

Module description:

Socio-Legal Method introduces students to the methods used in law and society research. The module will explore socio-legal methods of data generation and analysis. Alongside this practical introduction to research method will sit a critical interrogation of the theoretical underpinnings of the methodological and analytic approaches used in socio-legal research, and consideration of the need for ethical research practices.

The module provides the appropriate foundations of socio-legal methodological training for students to go on to pursue empirical socio-legal research.

In each seminar, a range of interactive teaching methods will be used alongside tutor-led discussion, including practical work such as: designing research projects, generating data, and analysing data extracts, transcripts and quantitative results.

Seminar topics:

  • Introduction to socio-legal studies
  • Qualitative research methods 1 (interviews: in-depth, semi-structured, structured, biographical, narrative; focus groups)
  • Qualitative research methods 2 (ethnography, observation and naturally occurring talk)
  • Quantitative research methods (designing questionnaires, using public statistics)
  • Archival research methods
  • Research ethics and managing data
  • Analytic approaches to qualitative data 1 (thematic analysis, content analysis and narrative analysis)
  • Analytic approaches to qualitative data 2 (discourse analysis, conversation analysis, grounded theory)
  • Analytic approaches to quantitative data (statistics)
  • Research credibility and generalisability

Methods of assessment

Modules on the LLM programmes will be assessed in one of the following ways. As this website is set up in advance, it is not possible to specify which method of assessment will be implemented for each module.

Either:

  • One 6000 word essay

Or

  • One 3-hour written examination

If you'd like to find out how a module will be assessed in the forthcoming academic year please contact the LLM Programmes Administrator at Law-LLM@contacts.bham.ac.uk.

 

Disclaimer

Modules and Courses are constantly updated and under review. As with most academic programmes, please remember that it is possible that a module may not be offered in any particular year, for instance because a member of staff is on study leave or too few students opt for it. The University of Birmingham reserves the right to vary or withdraw any course or module.