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Law and Literature - LAWS503

Law and Literature explores through fiction the ways in which power is constructed and maintained in law along axes of race and gender. The unit brings law alive through the examination of narrative and metaphor within judgments and legislation, and the performance of court-room trials, while illuminating the role of culture (literature) in the normalisation of, and resistance to, the power of law. Through local and international examples of poetry, plays, excerpts from novels and occasional multi-media, as well as judgments and other legal documents, students will be encouraged to critically appraise the ways in which hierarchies of race and gender are replicated and maintained in law (through racism, sexism and homophobia, for example), while reflecting on the purpose of culture in upholding these legal regimes. Focus is given to marginalised voices that are typically excluded from legal texts with questions posed about the exclusive nature of the orthodox legal voice.

Credit Points: 3
When Offered:

TBD - Not offered in the current year; next offering is to be determined

Staff Contact(s): Dr Kate Gleeson
Prerequisites:

(24cp in LAW or LAWS units) or (39cp at 100 level or above including LAWS260) or (12cp in ABST units at 200 level or above) or (12cp in GEN or GEND units at 200 level or above) Prerequisite Information

Corequisites:

NCCW(s):
Unit Designation(s):
Unit Type:
Assessed As: Graded
Offered By:

Macquarie Law School

Faculty of Arts

Course structures, including unit offerings, are subject to change.
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