Introduction

Part I of this book is the more theoretical part, in which research design, historical background and social organization are elaborated.

In this chapter, I present the research focus and the theoretical and methodological framework. First, I delve into the academic discussion of legal pluralism and lay out a brief account of recent theoretical developments that helped me build a coherent and stable foundation. After summarizing my thoughts on legal pluralism, I introduce the reader to my methodology with an overview of my fieldwork and experiences with data collection. In the final section of the chapter, I give a short analysis of relevant terms and notions.