DOCSLIB.ORG

Humanities and Social Sciences Latvia

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Humanities and Social Sciences Latvia HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES LATVIA Volume 23, Issue 1 (Spring-Summer 2015) University of Latvia CONTENTS From the Editor .......................................................................................... 3 Andrejs Veisbergs Formation of the Image of Latvians in Anglophone Sources (16th-20th centuries) ..................................................................................... 4 Kristīne Rotbaha Latvian Legal Folklore: Briefly Researched. Forbidden. Forgotten? ......... 24 Brigita Zepa, Evija Kļave, Inese Šūpule Russian-Latvian Language Conflict in Urban Settings in Latvia ............... 42 Pēteris Zvidriņš, Atis Bērziņš Dynamics of Ethnic Structures in the Baltic States .................................. 65 Roger A. Ritvo, Edite Bauska, Sintija Broka, Peteris Bukovskis, Laimdota Jarmusevica, Kristine Zelenivska Public Attitudes toward Cultural NGOs in Latvia: Implications for Business, Government and NGO Partnerships in an Emerging Civil Society ................................................................................................ 75 Ivars Kassalis Economic Performance of the Riga Port Cluster ....................................... 87 Edgars Rožāns The Socioeconomic Impact of Economic Freedom ................................... 105 The Authors ................................................................................................ 126 FROM THE EDITOR Dear Reader, This is the first issue for 2015 and we expect to be able to publish the next issue in autumn-winter 2015. The authors are mainly both PhD students and established academics. The articles are a heterogeneous set and cover a number of fields in the social sciences. Of particular interest is one article, which is the result of a collaboration between a visiting scholar from the USA and final year Bachelor degree students from the University of Latvia. We hope you enjoy this issue and are looking forward to the next issue. Best wishes Viesturs Pauls Karnups General Editor 4 FORMATION OF THE IMAGE OF LATVIANS IN ANGLOPHONE SOURCES (16th-20th CENTURIES) Andrejs Veisbergs Dr. Habil. Philol. Abstract This article reviews the portrayal of Latvia and Latvians in English sources from the beginning of the 17th century until today with a focus on the early sources. These are mainly travellers’ writings, memoirs and fiction that address Latvia and Latvians as characters. While in the early works the authors focus on the territory, town and non-Latvian elite life and Latvians as the local population are often not even mentioned, later the depiction of Latvians is often quite knowledgeable and prescient. Certain continuity can be seen in characterising Latvian musical genius, the importance of women, oppression and hatred against Germans and Russians, as well as such character traits as indecision, subservience, apathy, and thieving. As a charming curiosity one can mention the obsession and divergence in estimating the height of Latvians. As fiction characters Latvians are predominantly shown as negative – destructive and dangerous individuals. The (amusing/strange/imagined) stereotype of Latvians often moves from one source to another – a perfect example of Umberto Eco’s “faction”. One should remember that formation of the image proceeded parallel to the formation of the Latvian identity and nation. Keywords: Latvia, Latvians, identity, image, stereotype, travels, oppression, violence, culture, musical genius. Images and stereotypes The notions of national identity, national images and stereotypes are multifaceted and diffuse. Most of the definitions of stereotypes emphasise the fixed and oversimplified judgment, “a fixed, overgeneralised belief about a particular group or class of people.”1 Thus, national stereotypes are beliefs about the characteristics of a category of people (traits, culture, habits, likes, dislikes, behavioural descriptions). Stereotypes have traditionally been viewed as resistant to change, highly consensual, and unfavourable2. The issue of whether stereotypes reflect reality is controversial. The link may be there, but “a stereotype is an exaggerated 1 M. Cardwell, Dictionary of Psychology. Chicago IL: Fitzroy Dearborn 1996. 2 Y. H. Lee et. al eds., Stereotype accuracy: Toward appreciating group differences. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association 1995. Andrejs Veisbergs. Formation of the Image of Latvians in Anglophone Sources .. 5 belief associated with a category.”3 Other studies show a lack of correspondence of national stereotypes to aggregated personality traits4. There is also the view that stereotypes about the character of other nations are accurate, while stereotypes about their own nation are not.5 A recent multinational study of the Baltic rim countries seems to testify to the latter.6 National stereotypes of the “other” may emerge as a result of a direct contact between neighbouring nations or nations cohabiting in one territory. But they may emerge as a result of sporadic, occasional contact, and in some cases also without much contact altogether. There was hardly any direct contact between Latvians and English speakers before the 20th century. The relatively few travellers mainly contacted the local rulers or elites who were not Latvian. Thus information was often intermediated, or locals were superficially observed and conclusions made. Some of them are amazingly prescient, some are casual, and some are factually mistaken (mixing of nations, places, language items). The specificity of the Latvian situation lies in the fact that the observations in time proceeded parallel to the emergence of the nation, nation-building and identity establishment in general. There is hardly any Latvian auto-stereotype before the middle of the 19th century when the National Awakening started. Thus it would be unfair to look for exact stereotypes in early observations, these are mostly floating images. The Latvian image moves from non-existence to that of “non-Germans”, then to local boors, then Letto-Lithuanians, then Lett(e)s and finally Latvians. Images that emerge from stereotypes are often stable and decontextualized7: a single shooting incident in London at the beginning of the 20th century created an image of Latvian anarchists that stuck in the public mind. Some (wrong) facts have shown to be very stable, resistant, and frequently multiplied. A further problem is created by the term “Balt”, which initially refers to Baltic Germans/barons, but today often means Latvians, Estonians and Lithuanians. Thus some characteristics of 3 G. W. Allport, The nature of prejudice (25th Anniversary ed.). New York: Basic Books 1978, p. 191. 4 A. Terracciano et al., “National character does not reflect mean personality trait levels in 49 cultures”. Science, 310, 2005, p. 96-100. 5 R. W. Robins, “The nature of personality: Genes, culture, and national character”. Science, 310, 2005, pp. 62-63. 6 A. Realo et al., “Mechanisms of the National Character Stereotype: How People in Six Neighbouring Countries of Russia Describe Themselves and the Typical Russian”. European Journal of Personality. 23, 2009, pp. 229-249. 7 D. Moore, Les Représentations des langues et de leur Apprentissage, Paris: Didier 2003, p. 16. 6 Humanities and Social Sciences: Latvia (Volume 23(1)) Balts are inadvertently transferred to Latvians. Stereotypes can change8, but it may often take decades to change their content.9 This accounts for the anthropological confusion: Latvians are frequently portrayed as giants or dwarfs, and both ideas reoccur. There is a similar diversity about their origin: India, S(c)lavs, Lithuanians. The 18th century image of Latvians is that of an oppressed peasant. The 19th century stereotype is that of soft, childish, docile, emotional, stealing, drinking people. In the 20th century softness and stealing have disappeared and some ruthlessness has appeared. However, from early sources until today the importance of music and poetry is highlighted. Also the prominence of women in life is accentuated. The fictional characters of the 20th century are mostly SS-men, KGB men, and men of great evil, ruthlessness and determination. Latvian self-image Latvian national identity even today is very unclear and vague. Vita Matīss thinks that “a Latvian does not have his own value criteria” and it is easier.10 To a large extent this can be explained by the history of the nation: it has mostly been determined by representatives of other nations with their aims, aspirations and methods. Formulations of their identity by Latvians themselves are most contradictory and broad: low self-esteem, pride in being Latvian, spite, egotism and individualism, envy, diligence, treachery, peacefulness, serenity, introvertness, reserve, quarrelsomeness, stinginess, sturdiness, singing, closeness to nature, as well as some particular activities and phenomena, like the burning of the last year’s grass, Midsummer night celebrations, song festivals, birch sap tapping, mushroom picking, storks, “white roads” (unpaved roads), theatre worship, and cemetery culture.11 A study of Latvian images and stereotypes even within the Anglophone sources comprises several dimensions: in time – from the first references until today; in space – from the point of view of representatives of Britain, USA and others. The third dimension would be the sources – travel descriptions, history books, memoirs, studies about Latvia, newspaper and media information, official and unofficial internet information and finally 8 D. Bar-Tal, “Formation and Change of Ethnic and National Stereotypes:
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Riga Municipality Annual Report 2018
    Riga, 2019 CONTENT Report of Riga City Council Chairman .................................................................................................................... 4 Report of Riga City Council Finance Department Director ................................................................................... 5 Riga Municipality state ............................................................................................................................................. 6 Riga City population.............................................................................................................................................. 6 Riga Municipality economic state.......................................................................................................................... 7 Riga Municipality administration structure, functions, personnel........................................................................... 9 Riga Municipality property state .............................................................................................................................. 11 Value of Riga Municipal equity capital and its anticipated changes...................................................................... 11 Riga Municipality real estate property state........................................................................................................... 11 Execution of territory development plan ...............................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Automated Tackling of Disinformation
    Automated tackling of disinformation STUDY Panel for the Future of Science and Technology European Science-Media Hub EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service Scientific Foresight Unit (STOA) PE 624.278 – March 2019 EN Automated tackling of disinformation Major challenges ahead This study maps and analyses current and future threats from online misinformation, alongside currently adopted socio-technical and legal approaches. The challenges of evaluating their effectiveness and practical adoption are also discussed. Drawing on and complementing existing literature, the study summarises and analyses the findings of relevant journalistic and scientific studies and policy reports in relation to detecting, containing and countering online disinformation and propaganda campaigns. It traces recent developments and trends and identifies significant new or emerging challenges. It also addresses potential policy implications for the EU of current socio-technical solutions. ESMH | European Science-Media Hub AUTHORS This study was written by Alexandre Alaphilippe, Alexis Gizikis and Clara Hanot of EU DisinfoLab, and Kalina Bontcheva of The University of Sheffield, at the request of the Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA). It has been financed under the European Science and Media Hub budget and managed by the Scientific Foresight Unit within the Directorate-General for Parliamentary Research Services (EPRS) of the Secretariat of the European Parliament. Acknowledgements The authors wish to thank all respondents to the online survey, as well as first draft, WeVerify, InVID, PHEME, REVEAL, and all other initiatives that contributed materials to the study. ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBLE Mihalis Kritikos, Scientific Foresight Unit To contact the publisher, please e-mail [email protected] LINGUISTIC VERSION Original: EN Manuscript completed in March 2019.
    [Show full text]
  • Indian Chronicles Direct Control of +10 Ngos Accredited to the UN Human Rights Council
    15-year operation, since 2005 Indian Chronicles Direct control of +10 NGOs accredited to the UN Human Rights Council +550 website domain names registered Fake media Resurrection of dead in Brussels people, media and and Geneva NGOs +750 fake media in 116 countries Impersonation of EU institutions Identity theft Maximisation of Fake negative content journalists about Indian adversaries Subsequent investigation: Deep Involvement dive into a 15-year of Members of the European operation targeting Parliament the EU and UN to serve Indian interests An investigation by Gary Machado, Alexandre Alaphilippe, Roman Adamczyk and Antoine Grégoire 1 Professor Louis B. Sohn (1914-2006) This report is dedicated to the memory of Professor Louis B. Sohn, considered as the “grandfather of international human rights law in the United States”, whose name has been hijacked by the malicious actors depicted in this report. “Professor Thomas Buergenthal, former Judge and President of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights has described Sohn’s teaching style: “As a teacher, Louis Sohn never imposed his views on us, except his belief that legal scholarship had to be rigorous, sound, and imaginative. He would send us back to the library with that twinkle in his eye “to do more library detective work”, as he called it, citing from memory at least a dozen more sources we had overlooked. Oh, how many a time since then have I rechecked my sources one more time!” 1 We also would like to thank our colleagues, friends and families who bear with us once we go down the rabbit hole – mornings, afternoons, evenings, nights, and weekends.
    [Show full text]
  • Implementing the Protocol 36 Opt
    September 2012 Opting out of EU Criminal law: What is actually involved? Alicia Hinarejos, J.R. Spencer and Steve Peers CELS Working Paper, New Series, No.1 http://www.cels.law.cam.ac.uk http://www.cels.law.cam.ac.uk/publications/working_papers.php Centre for European Legal Studies • 10 West Road • Cambridge CB3 9DZ Telephone: 01223 330093 • Fax: 01223 330055 • http://www.cels.law.cam.ac.uk EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Protocol 36 to the Lisbon Treaty gives the UK the right to opt out en bloc of all the police and criminal justice measures adopted under the Treaty of Maastricht ahead of the date when the Court of Justice of the EU at Luxembourg will acquire jurisdiction in relation to them. The government is under pressure to use this opt-out in order to “repatriate criminal justice”. It is rumoured that this opt-out might be offered as a less troublesome alternative to those are calling for a referendum on “pulling out of Europe”. Those who advocate the Protocol 36 opt-out appear to assume that it would completely remove the UK from the sphere of EU influence in matters of criminal justice and that the opt-out could be exercised cost-free. In this Report, both of these assumptions are challenged. It concludes that if the opt-out were exercised the UK would still be bound by a range of new police and criminal justice measures which the UK has opted into after Lisbon. And it also concludes that the measures opted out of would include some – notably the European Arrest Warrant – the loss of which could pose a risk to law and order.
    [Show full text]
  • KI LAW of INDIGENOUS PEOPLES KI Law Of
    KI LAW OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES KI Law of indigenous peoples Class here works on the law of indigenous peoples in general For law of indigenous peoples in the Arctic and sub-Arctic, see KIA20.2-KIA8900.2 For law of ancient peoples or societies, see KL701-KL2215 For law of indigenous peoples of India (Indic peoples), see KNS350-KNS439 For law of indigenous peoples of Africa, see KQ2010-KQ9000 For law of Aboriginal Australians, see KU350-KU399 For law of indigenous peoples of New Zealand, see KUQ350- KUQ369 For law of indigenous peoples in the Americas, see KIA-KIX Bibliography 1 General bibliography 2.A-Z Guides to law collections. Indigenous law gateways (Portals). Web directories. By name, A-Z 2.I53 Indigenous Law Portal. Law Library of Congress 2.N38 NativeWeb: Indigenous Peoples' Law and Legal Issues 3 Encyclopedias. Law dictionaries For encyclopedias and law dictionaries relating to a particular indigenous group, see the group Official gazettes and other media for official information For departmental/administrative gazettes, see the issuing department or administrative unit of the appropriate jurisdiction 6.A-Z Inter-governmental congresses and conferences. By name, A- Z Including intergovernmental congresses and conferences between indigenous governments or those between indigenous governments and federal, provincial, or state governments 8 International intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) 10-12 Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) Inter-regional indigenous organizations Class here organizations identifying, defining, and representing the legal rights and interests of indigenous peoples 15 General. Collective Individual. By name 18 International Indian Treaty Council 20.A-Z Inter-regional councils. By name, A-Z Indigenous laws and treaties 24 Collections.
    [Show full text]
  • Restorative Justice Policy in Context: a Legal‑Archaeological Analysis
    Int J Semiot Law https://doi.org/10.1007/s11196-020-09747-0 Restorative Justice Policy in Context: A Legal‑Archaeological Analysis Giuseppe Maglione1 © The Author(s) 2020 Abstract This paper provides an original, in-depth analysis of English and Welsh criminal and penal policy on restorative justice. By using a historically-discursive approach— legal archaeology—this study frstly outlines the overarching representations of restorative justice within policy, unpacking their internal organisation. Then, it inter- prets such patterns of knowledge in light of specifc cultural, political and profes- sional transformations involving the Anglo-Welsh criminal justice feld over the last 30 years. Along these lines, it generates a historically documented policy map whilst problematising the taken-for-granted images of restorative justice which populate regulations, codes and laws. This has implications for the study of the relationships between restorative justice policy and practice and for future research on the insti- tutionalisation of this ‘new’ frontier of penality. More generally, the exploration of (unexpected) links between policy, politics and culture, provides material for a criti- cal assessment of how state agencies appropriate community-based and practice-led forms of justice. Keywords Restorative justice · Reparation · Legal archaeology · Discourses · England and Wales 1 Introduction Criminologists and legal scholars have hailed restorative justice (RJ) as one of the most ‘signifcant developments in criminal justice and criminological practice and thinking’ [21: 19] over the last 30 years, globally. Although defnitions of RJ are contested [68], there is a recurrent assumption delimiting this concept: people directly involved in a crime should have a say on how to deal with its consequences [10, 132, 139].
    [Show full text]
  • EIROPAS KULTŪRAS GALVASPILSĒTA EUROPEAN CAPITAL of CULTURE Juriskalniņš / Fotocentrs
    ENG EIROPAS KULTŪRAS GALVASPILSĒTA EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE Juris Kalniņš / Fotocentrs. Bird’s-eye view of Rīga Experience the Force Majeure of Culture! Rīga takes its visitors by surprise with its will introduce you to the most extensive and most Umeå 2014 external beauty as well as its rich world of interiors. significant activities of the European Capital of If you have never been to Rīga before, now is the Culture programme – and remember, whichever of time to experience the pleasure of discovering the them you choose to attend, be open-minded and diversity of Latvia’s capital city. Ancient and at the prepared to experience the unexpected! same time youthful, European and multicultural, today’s Rīga is the place to recharge your cultural Diāna Čivle, batteries. Head of the Rīga 2014 Foundation Rīga 2014 After you get to know the medieval streets of the Old Town, the Art Nouveau heritage and the shabby chic of the creative quarters, let us surprise you Kosice 2013 once more – this time with the saturated content Welcome to Maribor 2012 of Rīga’s cultural events calendar for the whole of Marseille 2013 2014. EsplanādE 2014! It is the surprising, the unexpected and even the Guimarães 2012 provocative that underpin the Force Majeure cultural The end of June will see a new building rise in programme of the European Capital of Culture. It the very heart of Rīga, between the Nativity of is the creative power that cannot be foreseen or Christ Orthodox Cathedral and the monument to planned beforehand. The miracle happens and the poet Rainis in the Esplanāde Park.
    [Show full text]
  • The Rise and Rise of the Administrative State
    Boston University School of Law Scholarly Commons at Boston University School of Law Faculty Scholarship 1994 The Rise and Rise of the Administrative State Gary Lawson Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.law.bu.edu/faculty_scholarship Part of the Administrative Law Commons, Constitutional Law Commons, and the Supreme Court of the United States Commons THE RISE AND RISE OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE STATE Gary Lawson* The post-New Deal administrative state is unconstitutional,' and its validation by the legal system amounts to nothing less than a bloodless constitutional revolution. 2 The original New Dealers were aware, at least to some degree, that their vision of the national gov- ernment's proper role and structure could not be squared with the written Constitution: 3 The Administrative Process, James Landis's classic exposition of the New Deal model of administration, fairly drips with contempt for the idea of a limited national government subject to a formal, tripartite separation of powers. 4 Faced with a choice between the administrative state and the Constitution, the architects of our modern government chose the administrative state, and their choice has stuck. There is a perception among some observers, however, that this post-New Deal consensus has recently come under serious legal attack, * Associate Professor, Northwestern University School of Law. B.A. ig8o, Claremont Men's College; J.D. 1983, Yale Law School. I am grateful to Robert W. Bennett, Steven G. Calabresi, Cynthia R. Farina, Patricia B. Granger, Daniel Polsby, Martin H. Redish, Jennifer Roback, Marshall Shapo, and the participants at colloquia at Cornell Law School and Northwestern University School of Law for their insightful comments and suggestions.
    [Show full text]
  • How Great Is Latvia's Success Story? the Economic, Social and Political Consequences of the Recent Financial Crisis in Latvia
    A Service of Leibniz-Informationszentrum econstor Wirtschaft Leibniz Information Centre Make Your Publications Visible. zbw for Economics Austers, Aldis Article — Published Version How great is Latvia's success story? The economic, social and political consequences of the recent financial crisis in Latvia Intereconomics Suggested Citation: Austers, Aldis (2014) : How great is Latvia's success story? The economic, social and political consequences of the recent financial crisis in Latvia, Intereconomics, ISSN 1613-964X, Springer, Heidelberg, Vol. 49, Iss. 4, pp. 228-238, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10272-014-0504-0 This Version is available at: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/146024 Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen: Terms of use: Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Documents in EconStor may be saved and copied for your Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden. personal and scholarly purposes. Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle You are not to copy documents for public or commercial Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich purposes, to exhibit the documents publicly, to make them machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen. publicly available on the internet, or to distribute or otherwise use the documents in public. Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, If the documents have been made available under an Open gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort Content Licence (especially Creative Commons Licences), you genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. may exercise further usage rights as specified in the indicated licence. www.econstor.eu Financial Crisis DOI: 10.1007/s10272-014-0504-0 Aldis Austers* How Great Is Latvia’s Success Story? The Economic, Social and Political Consequences of the Recent Financial Crisis in Latvia The current state of Latvia can be best described in medical terms: the patient is pale, but alive.
    [Show full text]
  • Fact-Checking and Debunking a Best Practice Guide to Dealing with Disinformation
    978-9934-564-95-6 FACT-CHECKING AND DEBUNKING A BEST PRACTICE GUIDE TO DEALING WITH DISINFORMATION Published by the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence ISBN: 978-9934-564-95-6 Authors: James Pamment, Anneli Kimber Lindwall Additional Research: Leon Klingborg Project Lead: Ben Heap Project Assistant: Quentin Wight Design: Kārlis Ulmanis Riga, January 2021 NATO STRATCOM COE 11b Kalnciema Iela Riga LV1048, Latvia www.stratcomcoe.org Facebook/stratcomcoe Twitter: @stratcomcoe This publication does not represent the opinions or policies of NATO or NATO StratCom COE. © All rights reserved by the NATO StratCom COE. Reports may not be copied, reproduced, distributed or publicly displayed without reference to the NATO StratCom COE. The views expressed here do not represent the views of NATO. Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 5 INTRODUCTION �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 12 1. Is it possible to evaluate debunking efforts? ...............................................................................................................13 2. Who is doing what? A guide to best practice..............................................................................................................21 3. Recommendations and future prospects ...............................................................................................................40
    [Show full text]
  • Specifically Latvian Vol. 2
    Specifically Latvian Vol. 2 Mārupīte, director Valters Sīlis A publication of Latvian Theatre Since the first Latvian Theatre Showcase held in 2003, things The nature of theatre as a whole also transforms as it finds Showcase 2013 here have notably changed. Most visibly, a new generation ways of breaking out of its frames of politeness, traditional of artists – directors, set designers, dramaturgs, and aesthetics and conservative taste. Younger directors no choreographers – have entered the scene, which, in terms longer evade harsh and potentially provocative themes, of the artistic energy introduced, matches their counterparts historically complicated situations or political issues, but, of the faraway 1990s (Viesturs Kairišs, Gatis Šmits, as opposed their predecessors who entered the stage in Dž. Dž. Džilindžers, and Regnārs Vaivars). In between, the 1990s, they are less audacious and scandalous. This the development in theatre was decent, but without tendency can be observed not only in Riga, but has also groundbreaking events, drastic changes in course or artistic reached theatres in other cities. In this year’s Showcase endeavors, which would resonate with the farthest reaches programme we present theatres from Valmiera and Liepāja of society (with the exception of Alvis Hermanis and his with their powerful productions and the remarkable work ensemble at the New Riga Theatre). The present generation of young actors. of young artists, each a strong personality of their own, It is wonderful to witness these changes and partake have not formed a particular artistic group, yet through in them, and yet all the indicated tendencies are still very collective spirit and mutual support they come across as fragile and uncertain.
    [Show full text]
  • Why Legal History Matters
    293 WHY LEGAL HISTORY MATTERS Jim Phillips* This is the text of Professor Phillips' Salmond Lecture delivered at the Victoria University of Wellington Law Faculty on 24 June 2010. In it Professor Phillips makes the case for why legal history matters both for lawyers and historians and argues for a continued contextual approach to the study of legal history. I INTRODUCTION Chief Justice, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. I am greatly honoured by the invitation to deliver the Salmond Lecture. I have long known of John Salmond as the author of one of the leading early twentieth century textbooks on torts, and as someone who also wrote about legal history. What I had not known before I worked on this lecture was what a remarkable and varied career he had, as legislator, diplomat and judge as well as legal scholar.1 It is indeed humbling to be giving a lecture named after such a towering figure. John Salmond's work on torts also made him a significant figure in the legal history of his period, something I will return to later. I like to think he would have approved of someone being asked to reflect generally about legal history and its importance. Whether he would have approved of the content of my remarks is another question. When I told a friend of mine about my visit here, to talk about why legal history matters as a prelude to a legal history conference, she suggested that New Zealand is a long way to go to preach to * Professor, Faculty of Law, Department of History, and Centre of Criminology, University of Toronto; Editor-in-Chief, Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History.
    [Show full text]