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Toward an Understanding of Legal Culture: Variations in Individualism and Collectivism between Kurds, Lebanese, and Germans

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 April 2024

Günter Bierbrauer
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Abstract

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Legal culture is a socially derived product encompassing such interrelated concepts as legitimacy and acceptance of authorities, preferences for and beliefs about dispute arrangements, and authorities' use of discretionary power. This study investigated five attributes of legal culture by comparing subjective notions of law and the legal system of respondents from Turkey (Kurds), Lebanon, and Germany. Our samples fell into two distinct groups on cultural orientation: the German group showed a distinct individualistic orientation; the two other groups (Kurds and Lebanese) showed a relative collectivistic orientation. The findings suggest a substantial variety of legal preferences and practices between the two orientations. Collectivistic groups had a greater preference for abiding by the norms of tradition and religion and were less willing to let state law regulate in-group disputes; individualistic respondents showed a clear preference for formal procedures and guidelines. The study suggests that legal norms prevailing in Western societies may be inconsequential to people socialized in other cultures. Implications of diverse conceptions of law, legal expectations, and legitimacy for various cultural groups in multiethnic and plural societies are discussed.

Type
Cultural Differences and Legal Consciousness
Information
Law & Society Review , Volume 28 , Issue 2 , 1994 , pp. 243 - 264
Copyright
Copyright © 1997 by The Law and Society Association.

Footnotes

I am grateful to Judge Karsten-Michael Ortloff, VG Berlin, who first exposed me to the intricate problems of asylum adjudication, and to Judge Walther Gottwald, OLG Stuttgart, for advice on sociolegal issues. In addition I would like to thank Rüdiger Volkmann, Jutta Bott, Uwe Wolfradt, and Heike Meyer for able research assistance, and Gudrun Chafik for the skillful and dedicated preparation of the manuscript. I am also grateful to Neil Vidmar, Robert Wicklund, and three reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions on earlier drafts. This research was supported by a grant from the Volkswagen-Foundation.

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