Oxford University Press Invitation to the Sociology of International Law

Invitation to the Sociology of International Law aims to cast light on the under-explored sociological dimension of international law. The book emphasizes that international legal rules are profoundly embedded in diverse social factors and processes, such as norms, identity, and collective memory. Thus, international law often reflects and affects societal factors and processes in state societies and in the international community. The book exposes some central tenets of the sociological perspective and its core theoretical approaches, and presents a sociological analysis of several significant topics in present-day international law. The volume surveys subjects such as compliance, international economic law, legal fragmentation, law-making, and the impartiality of adjudicators, and reveals that a sociological analysis of international law enriches our understanding of social factors involved in the formation, evolution, and implementation of the law. Such analysis may not only explain past and present trends in international law but also bears significant implications for the interpretation of existing legal provisions, as well as suggesting better legal mechanisms for coping with contemporary challenges. In light of the underlying interrelationships between international law and other social factors, this book invites international law specialists to analyse international legal rules in their wider social context and to incorporate sociological tools into mainstream international law scholarship. Review Perhaps the word the in the title promises a tad too much to the readers of this truly valuable book. More accurate would be 'Major Themes in International Law: A Sociological Approach'. With this caveat the book delivers whether you are interested in trade agreements, compliance pull, investment, or any of the other themes picked up (a particularly interesting chapter on collective memory) you will learn, become wiser in relation to each. What more can one ask? ― Joseph Weiler, European Journal of International Law, This book attempts to fill this literature gap and succinctly provides insights to the sociology of international law, sociological theories, collective memory, social identity, diffusion of norms, deviance and conformity within international law. Overall, this book remains a valuable contribution to the literature on the sociology of international law and as such is a commendable piece of research and a valuable resource for researchers, academics, policy makers, social scientists and students within the field of international law, sociology and international relations. ― Fozia Nazir Lone, Chinese Journal of International Law About the Author Moshe Hirsch is the Von Hofmannsthal Chair in International Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He specializes in international economic law and international legal theory, with a particular emphasis on the sociology of international law. A significant part of his work involves interdisciplinary research that employs sociological theories, game theory, political economy, and international relations theory.