Sociology and Law are two interwoven topics. Society is directly related to sociology, and in this matter, every society follows certain laws. Therefore, laws are an essential part of society. Sociology helps law to better understand society for smoother regulation and formation of laws. Similarly, the law is important to regulate society. Norms, customs, traditions all come under the law if the law did not exist then the society would not be less than a jungle. A human needs certain rules and regulations to keep them on track and hence laws were made. These laws are made and established by society itself or governments are elected to formulate laws. From the formation to the execution till its impact on society everything comes under the umbrella of Sociology.
Laws are produced and put into action through different societal processes. Every social institution such as family, polity, crime, corporation also individuals all these requirements and comprise of different laws.
In Sociology, we would say that law is a Social Control over Society. To have a harmonious society one needs to build laws. Social control is basically a component utilized by the administration to manage the activities of all people inside any general public, with the law being an immaculate illustration. When something is said orally, people often ignore it or dismiss it. So now people have to build a judicial system and law enforcement agencies. When something goes wrong, these agencies look into that issue, and people keep in mind the consequences they can face if they go against the law and act as an example for others. This is also related to Politics but it is also as important for sociology. The different institutions may likewise be utilized as types of social control, for example, the training framework, i.e. Schools and colleges, religion or media, depending upon how and to what degree they are utilized. For example, every one of them has the ability to show individuals an arrangement of good standards and principles, which is likewise a type of social control.
The law is a societal phenomenon. Often law and sociology are seen as two different trains or domains and different groups of information. However, law and Sociology has similar subject matters such as both evolve around social relationships, principles, social controls, commitments, and desires coming from specific social status and connections between or among people and society. Anything happening in the social lives of people liable to lawful control and legal explanations does have likenesses with the social hypothesis and frequently read like the social hypothesis.
Often laws get neglected due to developments in society. So, as the social changes occur there must be changes in the law. Just like modern Sociology of law after the Second World War sociology of law became the field of learning and factual study but a law was not central but some well-known sociologists wrote about a law in society. Sociologist Talcott Parsons in his work stated that law is the essential part of social control. Later, critical sociologists evolved with an idea that law is a weapon of power. Further sociologist Philip Selznick contended that modern law has become receptive to the general public’s needs instead it should be drawn ethically as well. German Sociologist Niklas Luhmann shares that Law is a functional system of society therefore he states
“All collective human life is directly or indirectly shaped by law. Law is like knowledge, an essential and all-pervasive fact of the social condition.”
— Niklas Luhmann
Hence, in simple words, the law is an essential element of society, and society works smoothly with the law. Both go hand in hand. One needs to understand society’s different elements for better law formation and enforcement, and the same goes for society. To have a peaceful and well-structured society, laws should be followed.
Also Read: Sociology of Law
