ABSTRACT
This book explores a thesis that has not been adequately elaborated and tested because it requires contributions from two disciplines-sociology and law-that have failed to share extensively their intellectual re sources. The limited interaction that has thus far occurred between the two fields is regrettable, for collaboration would benefit both. Partic ularly valuable to the legal community would be a focus on the structure and values of society, phenomena that are central to the sociological perspective. The structure of a society encompasses the manner in which social life is organized-i.e., the arrangements and patterns char acterizing a society-while its values are the ideals and expectations that guide the actions of individuals and groups. The thesis advanced in this book is that societal structure and values are directly related to the nature of the doctrines found in the legal system. The links between societal conditions and law are, I suggest, strong and pervasive.
