Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses the nature and strength of the connections between 'law' in a narrow sense, and the undeniable, often elusive impacts and influences of 'hybrid social normativities', which remain difficult to identify without appropriate lenses or analytical tools. It also discusses a legal pluralist reading of normative conflict and scrutinises the hierarchy of laws, as well as their enforcement, focusing on conflicts over gender equality in India with specific reference to Muslim divorce law and the infamous triple talaq. Plurality-conscious legal analysis thus provides solid evidence that so-called conflicts arise and seem to be managed by individuals as legal agents or actors, often hiding behind institutions or other structures that grant power and offer discretionary spaces for decision-making, which may be easily abused.