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Exploring avenues of research in legal pluralism: forward-looking perspectives in the work of Franz von Benda-Beckmann

2015; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 47; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/07329113.2015.1113690

2305-9931

Bertram Turner,

Comparative and International Law Studies

This introduction to the special issue in commemoration of Franz von Benda-Beckmann revisits central theses in his intellectual oeuvre, which spans more than 45 years. Some of his publications long ago acquired the status of classics in the field of legal anthropology and studies in legal pluralism. This article asks how we can profit from his uncanny ability to identify the next decisive problems and emerging challenges to the analysis of law in society. This introduction distils out of Franz von Benda-Beckmann's rich legacy a number of forward-looking perspectives that constitute valuable contributions to ongoing and future-oriented debates. Developments in the legal sphere that increasingly have attracted interest in legal anthropology are foregrounded. The literature discussed in the article provides a wide array of arguments useful for the exploration of new horizons within the anthropological study of legal phenomena.