UNLP - Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales

Taller de lectocomprensión en idioma 1 (inglés)

Trabajo Práctico 1

Trabajo Práctico 1

1. Read the abstract below, from the article entitled “The Expressive Function of Law
and the Lex Imperfecta”. Can you identify any of its moves (parts)? Look at the
colours and identify the correct move.

The Expressive Function of Law and the Lex Imperfecta

Thomas A. J. McGinn

Abstract — Legal scholars have developed the thesis that a law may convey a social
meaning that reinforces or changes the norms of a community, beyond its role in
establishing and enforcing rules. This is described as the expressive function of law. It is
associated with the University of Chicago, though its adherents are spread more widely.
At its core it invites us to consider how rules alter the social meaning of behavior, and in
its more muscular forms it acknowledges and even promotes laws that create new norms
of behavior. The ways in which individual scholars treat collective action problems,
rational choice, and the role of government, vary considerably, however. This article
suggests that the Romans themselves implicitly recognized the expressive function of
law and indeed employed it with success. The principal example is the lex imperfecta.
This is a term from antiquity, somewhat disputed, used to describe a statute that prohibits
or discourages behavior without assigning a penalty or otherwise voiding the effects of
the underlying acts. Other examples from antiquity are considered also.

Move: Introduction

Move: Results

Move: Discussion

2. Now look at the text again and answer the following questions:
a. According to this author, do legal scholars in general believe that the only role that
the law plays in society is establishing and enforcing rules? Support your answer with
information from the abstract.
Los estudiosos del derecho han desarrollado la tesis de que una ley puede transmitir
un significado social que refuerza o cambia las normas de una comunidad.
Esto se describe como la función expresiva del derecho. Está asociado con la
Universidad de Chicago, aunque sus seguidores están más extendidos. En esencia,
nos invita a considerar como las reglas alteran el significado social del
comportamiento, y en sus formas más musculares reconoce e incluso promueve
leyes que crean nuevas formas de comportamiento.
 UNLP - Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales

Taller de lectocomprensión en idioma 1 (inglés)

Trabajo Práctico 1

b. What is the lex imperfecta an example of?

Los romanos reconocieron implícitamente la función expresiva del derecho y, de
hecho, la emplearon con éxito. Este es un ejemplo de lex imperfecta.

3. Can you find an example of a simple sentence in the abstract?

Está asociado con la Universidad de Chicago, aunque sus seguidores están más
extendidos.

4. Can you find examples of present simple, past simple and present perfect verbs in the
abstract? If there are any, please list them and identify their subjects.
PRESENT SIMPLE -Legal scholars have developed the
thesis
- This is described as the expressive
function
- It is associated with the University of
Chicago
- At its core it invites
- The ways in which individual scholars
treat collective action problems, rational
choice, and the role of government, vary
considerably, however.

PAST SIMPLE - used to describe a statute

PRESENT PERFECT - Legal scholars have developed the

thesis that a law may convey a social
- It is associated with the University of
Chicago
- At its core it invites us to consider how
rules alter the social meaning of
behavior
- This article suggests that the Romans
themselves implicitly recognized the
expressive function of law and indeed
employed it with success.

5. Now let’s concentrate on section III (What is a norm?) from the text. Read this section and
answer the questions below.
a. Why could the concept of “norm” be considered problematic?
El concepto de “norma” se considera problemático en este contexto porque es
inherentemente ambiguo. Puede describir tanto el comportamiento rutinario, como lo
que las personas deberían hacer. Además, diferentes académicos y teóricos definen
 UNLP - Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales

Taller de lectocomprensión en idioma 1 (inglés)

Trabajo Práctico 1

“norma” de diversas maneras, lo que puede generar confusión y diferencias de

interpretación.
b. What do scholars generally agree on when it comes to defining norms?
La mayoría definiría una “norma” en términos parecidos a los siguientes: una regla
no legal respaldada por un patrón de sanciones informales, es decir, nuevamente no
legales.

III. What is a norm?

At this point it might be useful to offer a few reflections on what we mean by “norm” in this
context. It is an almost inherently ambiguous word. One reason is that it commonly describes
routine behaviour — what most people do most of the time — so that it has a descriptive
sense, and it also commonly refers to what people ought to be doing, in this way
synonymously with “rule,” so that it has a prescriptive sense. Partly for this reason, it is
hardly surprising that expressive law theorists define “norm” in different ways. The good
news is that they tend to recognize this fact explicitly, which makes it easier to discount some
of their differences and proceed to generalize.
Most would define a “norm” in something like the following terms: a non-legal rule
supported by a pattern of informal, meaning again non-legal, sanctions. These sanctions
include public shaming, criticism, even ostracism, directed at the norm- breaker as well as
feelings of guilt and/or shame that arise on the part of the norm-breaker. As one can see,
there are two basic categories of impact. Different scholars describe them in different
ways; one for example distinguishes between second and third order effects, with the
second applying to the external level, the third to the internal, while another describes the
difference in terms of “objective” and “subjective,” and another between controlling
behaviour directly and indirectly. The relationship between these two categories is perhaps
more complex than at first it might appear, in that reputation can have an impact on status
and that, in turn, might influence the attitudes individuals hold about respecting norms.
Either one may be in play at any given time, or both.
Much of the discussion focuses on the question of internalization, which concerns law’s
role in both reinforcing and altering social norms. It can refer to either of the two categories
of effects just described, though it seems to receive more attention on the subjective level.
In any case what is crucial here is the question of a change in social meaning. How does
the law encourage people to take an existing norm more seriously, to adopt a new norm, or
to reject a bad one? The NCS recognizes that some norms are more resistant to change than
others, but has no generally accepted theory on how internalization works.

6. Now let’s focus on language and how it is used in the text. Look at the chart below and
analyze the verbs in bold.
 UNLP - Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales

Taller de lectocomprensión en idioma 1 (inglés)

Trabajo Práctico 1

Example Is it finite or What tense (if finite) is it in? What

non-finite? kind of non-finite verb is it?

it commonly describes routines… Non-finite Gerundio/participio

a non-legal rule supported by a Finite presente

pattern…

but has no generally accepted Finite presente

theory…

7. Look at the fragment from section III below. There are some words which have been
highlighted for you to analyze. Can you identify their category? Are they nouns, verbs, etc.?

“One reason is that it commonly describes routine behavior - what most people do most of
the time - so that it has a descriptive sense, and it also commonly refers to what people
ought to be doing, in this way synonymously with “rule”, so that it has a prescriptive sense.”

example category example category example category

reason sustantivo do Verbo it pronombre

commonly adverbio descriptive adjetivo to preposicion

this pronombre so adverbio a articulo