From the street to the courtroom: The material bridge between law and everyday life
By: Espinosa, Ignacio Riquelme and Steinert, Isidora Urrutia
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BookPublisher: Social & Legal Studies Description: 35(2), Apr, 2026: p.183-211.Subject(s): Legal consciousness, Chile, Domestic violence, Courts, Materiality
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Social & Legal StudiesSummary: Legal consciousness studies have demonstrated that law manifests in diverse forms and spaces beyond formal institutions, permeating the everyday lives of individuals. However, this growing body of work often overlooks the role of objects and non-human agents in shaping legal experiences. Adopting a micro-sociological perspective, this article bridges legal consciousness and material culture studies by examining how objects mediate the process of problematization—understanding everyday life through the lens of law. Drawing on a judicial ethnography conducted in 2017 in Chilean family courts processing domestic violence cases, we analyze three seemingly mundane objects: a legal text kiosk near the courthouse, televisions broadcasting institutional videos, and magazines in the waiting area adjacent to the courtroom. These objects mark the transition from public to legal spaces and forge connections between everyday life and legality. Our findings reveal that materiality underpins the emergence of legal power, transforming domestic violence into a legal dispute while preserving unproblematic aspects of daily life.-Reproduced
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/09646639251339110?_gl=1*ew5wkz*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTc0MDE2NzQ5MC
4xNzc4MDU4MTYy*_ga_60R758KFDG*czE3NzgwNTgxNjEkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzgwNTgxNzAkajUxJGwwJGgzMDI1NDM2MjY.
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Articles
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Indian Institute of Public Administration | 35(2), Apr, 2026: p.183-211 | Available | AR138777 |
Legal consciousness studies have demonstrated that law manifests in diverse forms and spaces beyond formal institutions, permeating the everyday lives of individuals. However, this growing body of work often overlooks the role of objects and non-human agents in shaping legal experiences. Adopting a micro-sociological perspective, this article bridges legal consciousness and material culture studies by examining how objects mediate the process of problematization—understanding everyday life through the lens of law. Drawing on a judicial ethnography conducted in 2017 in Chilean family courts processing domestic violence cases, we analyze three seemingly mundane objects: a legal text kiosk near the courthouse, televisions broadcasting institutional videos, and magazines in the waiting area adjacent to the courtroom. These objects mark the transition from public to legal spaces and forge connections between everyday life and legality. Our findings reveal that materiality underpins the emergence of legal power, transforming domestic violence into a legal dispute while preserving unproblematic aspects of daily life.-Reproduced
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/09646639251339110?_gl=1*ew5wkz*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTc0MDE2NzQ5MC
4xNzc4MDU4MTYy*_ga_60R758KFDG*czE3NzgwNTgxNjEkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzgwNTgxNzAkajUxJGwwJGgzMDI1NDM2MjY.
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