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Two Approaches to Contemporary Dispute Behavior and Consumer Problems

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2024

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The two articles that follow contribute to the mapping of dispute behavior in contemporary society. Hannigan (1977) describes how a newpaper action line, or ombudsman, handles consumer disputes. Best and Andreasen (1977) report the findings of their survey of consumer experiences and what consumers did about the problems they encountered. These essays represent complementary approaches to the study of how people and institutions respond to common consumer disputes. I will begin by indicating where they fit into the evolving tradition of sociolegal research and how they add to our still redimentary understanding of dispute behavior.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © 1977 The Law and Society Association

Footnotes

I would like to thank Richard L. Abel and David M. Engel for their helpful comments on an earlier draft of this paper.

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