Law, society and culture
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Law plays a role in all aspects of our everyday life. In this innovative module, you will explore the relationships between law, society and culture. You'll explore these themes through the lens of diverse and cutting-edge issues, which can sometimes be controversial. You'll have a unique opportunity to shape your pathway through the module by choosing the theme of your final block of study, focusing either on law and humanities or on law and environments. This module, which has been specially designed to be studied online, will also equip you with a range of legal and transferable skills necessary for further independent study as well as for your personal and professional life.
What you will study
Throughout the module, you will find a strong emphasis on law in context. This includes analysing of the interaction between law and the political, cultural and social contexts in which we live today, as well as an examination of these contexts from a historical perspective. As you work through the module you will be increasingly prompted towards recognising, examining, questioning and challenging in depth these legal contexts using your own legal reasoning.
After studying the first two themes, you'll have an opportunity to choose either law and humanities or law and environments. The final piece of assessment, which takes the form of a research essay, will be on a topic in whichever of those themes you choose.
Block 1: Law and gender
This theme will look at the relationship between gender and law. It will challenge existing assumptions about the neutrality of law and explore the gendered nature of law. In the second unit of the block, you'll focus on challenging the gender stereotypes and assumptions regarding female perpetrators and their treatment in the criminal justice system (in the UK and international context).
Block 2: Law and the body
You'll be introduced to four contemporary topics on law and the body. At all stages of life, the body is subject to law and control, but how bodies are controlled and are permitted to act, changes in different circumstances. The first unit discusses consent to bodily harm through established case law, with a particular focus on how the body is permitted to act in sporting spheres. The second unit continues with issues surrounding the law’s regulation of the body through the introduction of illegal drugs and safe injection sites. The third unit considers experiences of healthcare in a socio-legal context, while the fourth unit explores the relationship between law and the body in the context of neuroscientific, societal, legal and philosophical interpretations of what it may mean to be conscious of our actions.
Block 3A: Law and humanities
This block explores law in the context of humanities. Throughout this block, a sub-theme of Nazi Germany is adopted to provide you with concrete examples from a particular time period to explore the connections between the law and three key topics: the visual, language, and cultural property.
Starting with a critical inquiry into how symbols, emblems, heraldry etc., were used by the Nazis in relation to and in accordance with the law to support and promote their ideology in the lead-up to World War 2, you'll proceed to explore the language used in the legal texts of this historical period. Finally, you'll explore the legal issues surrounding cultural property of this period, the development of the international framework on protecting cultural property as well as the topic of return of cultural property after the war.
Block 3B: Law and environments
This block critically engages with three contemporary issues relating to law in three very diverse and exciting environments. The first unit challenges you to think critically about the legal implications of people’s participation in online spaces in the contexts of human rights (freedom of expression), and what could, and should, be subject to legal controls. The second unit engages with the issue of legal controls in our lived environment and climate change. The third unit takes you into outer space and to think critically about how and why law operates in space.
Professional recognition
If you intend to use this module as part of the LLB and you hope to enter the legal profession, you should read carefully the careers information on The Open University Law School website. There are different entry regulations into the legal professions in England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland. You should read the information on the website, as it is your responsibility to ensure that you meet these requirements.
Entry requirements
We recommend that you have successfully completed 60 credits of OU level 2 modules prior to studying this OU level 3 module.
If you are studying this module towards the Academic degree or Foundations of Legal Knowledge route as part of the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) (LLB) (R81) or Bachelor of Laws (Honours) (graduate entry) (LLB) (R82), then you will need to have studied or be studying on a presentation of Trusts law (W311) before enrolling on W340.
What's included
All the content and activities for this module will be available via the module website, which also includes:
- a week-by-week study planner
- module materials
- audio and video content
- assessment guide
- online tutorials and forums.
You will need
You will need to record an oral presentation as part of your assessed work on this module. We strongly recommend that you use a headset with a microphone, as using an external or integrated microphone and speakers could result in a poor-quality recording.
Computing requirements
- Primary device – A desktop or laptop computer. It’s possible to access some materials on a mobile phone, tablet or Chromebook; however, they will not be suitable as your primary device.
- Peripheral device – Headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone for online tutorials.
- Our OU Study app operates on supported versions of Android and iOS.
- Operating systems – Windows 11 or latest supported macOS. Microsoft will no longer support Windows 10 as of 14 October 2025.
- Internet access – Broadband or mobile connection.
- Browser – Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are recommended. Mozilla Firefox and Safari may be suitable.