Law, Rights and Justice

Discover some of the ways that our research expertise in aw, rights and justice informs the teaching of BA Sociology.

Explore our research on the theme of Law, Rights and Justice:

Headshot of Professor Kate Nash smiling and standing against green background

Spotlight on citizenship

Professor Kate Nash is a sociologist working on citizenship and human rights.  It’s an area of study that’s in the news every day.  Studying citizenship and human rights in Kate’s third-year module means going behind the news: to learn about the rights of migrants and refugees, how class inequalities have been addressed, the impact of the British Empire, dilemmas of gender and rights – and much more.

Why do rich people want to become British citizens?  Why do poor people?  How do you get citizenship? When did it become possible to lose British citizenship – and who should fear it happening to them?

Red banner painted with orange people covered in white and yellow writing

Spotlight on law and contemporary society

Dr Kiran Grewal is the convenor of the MA in Human Rights, Culture and Social Justice and co-director of the Unit for Global Justice at Goldsmiths. Formerly a lawyer, Kiran’s research looks at how different groups in society engage with the law.

Kiran runs the second-year module, Law and Contemporary Society. In this module, you'll look at the ways in which law interacts with a range of social institutions, processes and debates. Examples include how the law views and regulates the body or the family and how this relates to societal attitudes and practices.

Image of Kirsten Campbell standing in front of bookshelves

Spotlight on law and identity

Professor Kirsten Campbell is a sociologist and lawyer working on sexual and gender-based crimes in international criminal law. She is a leading expert in this area and has worked on policy and practice with non-governmental organisations, the UN, the UK and the EU.

Kirsten convenes the third-year option course, Law, Identity and Ethics.  In the course, you explore key debates about law and identity.  How does law construct identity?  Does law only reflect the interests of powerful social groups, or can it help change social inequalities?  What kinds of justice does law provide?