Updated to reflect new legislation, directives, and jurisprudence, this exploration of the relationship between law and society takes on the full range of legal areas--including family law, immigration, and sexual violence--and contains new sections on current issues such as occupational health and safety, welfare law, and laws regarding homosexuals. The contributors' essays ask questions such as "What role has law historically played in generating today's inequalities?" and "Is law part of the problem or part of the solution?" with the aim of generating discussion and enhancing understanding of law's social basis.