Explain the basic perspective Chambliss and Seidman presented in their 1971 book, Law, Order, and Power. List and explain their four main propositions

What will be an ideal response?


Answer: In their 1971 book Law, Order, and Power, Chambliss and Seidman argue that economic stratification require dominant groups to enforce norms through coercion. According to the authors, life conditions affect values and norms; complex societies are comprised of groups with divergent life conditions and conflicting values; and political and economic power determines whose values are embodied in the law.

The four main propositions outlined in the book are:


  • The conditions of one’s life affect one’s values and norms.

  • Complex societies are comprised of groups with widely different life conditions and highly disparate and conflicting sets of norms.

  • The probability of a given group having its particular normative system embodied in law is not distributed equally but is closely related to the political and economic position of that group.

  • The higher a group’s political or economic position is, the greater the probability that its views will be reflected in laws.

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