ABSTRACT
Interpretivism as a theoretical perspective 115 ‘Macro’ and ‘micro’ traditions 115 Researching action and meaning 117
Symbolic interactionism and law 117 Assumptions, questions and methods 118 Studies of legal practice 121 The labelling tradition 123
Ethnomethodology, conversation analysis and law 125 Practical reasoning as a sociological topic 126 Meaning as a local accomplishment: the case of
a firm of ‘radical lawyers’ 128 Inside legal practice 129 Investigating language 130
Assessing the interpretive tradition 135 Critical researchers and the ‘micro’-level 136 A distinctive sociological agenda 136
Questions 137
Further reading 137
Boxes 6.1 Everett Hughes on what makes a profession 120 6.2 A study of a jury deliberation 127 6.3 How a mediator stopped an argument 132
Before reading this chapter, it would be worth observing some hearings at a local criminal court. When you sit in the public gallery, you can see defence and prosecution lawyers getting through their practical tasks, and magistrates or judges making decisions. If you are intrigued or curious about how courts work, then you should find something of interest in the sociological traditions reviewed in this chapter. They employ qualitative research methods, such as observing hearings or interviewing practitioners about their work, to investigate what happens inside courtrooms or legal agencies at some level of detail.
