ABSTRACT
The ambition of this book is to argue for sociology of law as a science about norms. I explore three different perspectives on norms: (1) analytical, (2) empirical and (3) normative. The classical approach to norms is the openly normative system as law and social norms. The innovation is to point out that norms as expectations are a product also of cognitive systems, i.e. systems as economy and technology, like physics, chemistry, construction, etc. These systems provide knowledge, which gives guidelines for production processes and the distribution of goods and services when fulfilling human needs.
Norms are internalized through primary and secondary socialization. As long as society follows an engrained way, the leading principle is business as usual. In the transition from industrial to an emerging digital society, changes take place which disrupt the existing way of life. Norms taken for granted become apparent and challenged. New norms try to break through.
The modernization of society has been characterized by specialization and atomization. An extreme level of fragmentation has led to the need for theories that take a holistic approach and “reassemble” the fragments. Sociology of law as a science about norms has this ambition.
