NotesFAQContact Us
Collection
Advanced
Search Tips
Back to results
Peer reviewed Peer reviewed
Direct linkDirect link
ERIC Number: EJ1166793
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 26
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0896-5811
EISSN: N/A
Law as a Teacher of Society: Reflections on Title VII after Fifty Years
Little, Andrew
Journal of Legal Studies Education, v33 n1 p71-96 Win 2016
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 has worked to reshape American society for more than fifty years through arguably its most important subpart, Title VII, which prohibits discrimination in employment. This article is not so much an attempt to join the chorus of scholars offering reflections on the statute after five decades, as it is an attempt to offer another way of looking at Title VII that hopefully sheds light on the intertwined issues of legal purpose and legal teaching. The author begins with the premise that an often unstated purpose of any given law is essentially pedagogical: laws are enacted, among other things, to teach people which behaviors and activities are acceptable and which are not. What, then, does Title VII teach? Does it merely prohibit discrimination in the workplace, or is its foundational purpose more expansive? Depending on how one assesses the teaching purpose of Title VII, the next inquiry might be how to measure the law's teaching effectiveness? Is Title VII still relevant? The author answers this question affirmatively, demonstrating the unfinished business of Title VII by pointing to recent work by social scientists highlighting subtle and latent bias in race and religion. The author ends with observations related to teaching Title VII.
Wiley-Blackwell. 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148. Tel: 800-835-6770; Tel: 781-388-8598; Fax: 781-388-8232; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Civil Rights Act 1964 Title VII
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A