The Fall and Rise of Law and Social Science in China

Abstract

This article traces the three waves of law and social science studies in contemporary China and examines the current status of this rapidly differentiating interdisciplinary field. Whereas the first two waves of studies subsided without generating a nationwide law and society movement, the most recent wave is rapidly changing the landscape of Chinese legal scholarship through empirical research. Four emerging subareas of Chinese sociolegal studies are reviewed in detail: (a) law in rural society, (b) the legal profession, (c) courts and dispute resolution, and (d) criminal justice. ©