ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the key problems that will be analysed in the book. The first part of the chapter places the study in the broader area of law and society, in particular within the discussion on law, crime, and culture. Questions about the function of the law in today´s pluralistic societies are raised and the criminological and criminal law debate on the relationship between crime and culture is introduced. The focus moves then to the core conflicts analysed in this study: honour-based violence and forced marriages. A brief analysis of these crimes and of the responses adopted by European countries to them is provided. The problems often connected to the use of alternative dispute solution and restorative justice in this area, which will be examined in more detail in the second part of this book, are also presented. The last part of the chapter describes the aim, methodology, and outline of the book and provides a brief summary of the upcoming chapters.
