PSC 365 - (285) Law, Society, and the Wire

Course Units: 1

(Spring; Hays) HBO’s The Wire is often hailed as one of the greatest television series. During its run, critics compared it to a novel or epic poem. Along with its gritty portrayal of inner city decay and the lives lived in this environment, the crime drama convincingly portrays communities and their institutions. The Wire’s depiction of law is among its most nuanced and provocative features. The show easily slips among the black letter law, the law on the street, and informal law-like systems that exist among communities that do not fully subscribe to the norms of the state. This course will use the portrayal of law in The Wire to address some of the following questions: What is law? Is law only the domain of the state? What is the relationship between law and power? Is violence inherent in law? Is law inherently oppressive? If so, how do we reconcile oppression with democratic practice and human rights?