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"Translating Law and Anthropology," Frontiers in the Anthropology of Law, Yale Law School

  • Location: New Haven CT
  • Research area: Legal profession

Nov 2008,

The legal academy is currently in the midst of a period of renewed interest in empirical research on law.  Yet despite growing interdisciplinary fervor, we have yet to develop a considered theory or practice of translation between disciplines.  In this presentation, I use the example of anthropology to suggest why such a combined theory and practice might be important.  At the same time, I draw on the methods of anthropological linguistics to highlight some of the limits of translation across disciplinary boundaries.  I conclude by suggesting that humility about the possibilities of translation is a necessary part of any truly "scientific" approach to interdisciplinary work in law.

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