Legal Pluralism, Restorative Justice, and Social Change

有充分的科学证据表明，作为公益物的文化演变规范可以限制个人利益，促进集体行动，以克服公地悲剧和共同悲剧。然而，我们对如何改变现有规范和发展新规范，以便在变革面前伸张正义和促进合作，却知之甚少。许多司法管辖区采用了法律的多元化，以实现社会不同层面的和谐，由西方的正式法院执行报复性司法，由习惯法法院通过恢复性司法谈判达成妥协。该项目探讨了这些公共论坛在恢复性司法方面的作用，这些论坛是了解将不同意见合并为规范转变的动态的最佳环境，以在人口、经济和社会迅速变化的情况下保持社区合作。该项目包括教育部分，以扩大代表性不足的群体对科学的参与，并提高公众对科学的理解。研究小组将编写关于法院和海关的教育材料。这项工作可以高度推广到其他传统的法院和恢复性司法制度，这将有助于整个领域的发展。（亚利桑那州立大学和犹他州大学）和Nitze Pupu先生，法学博士（恩加传统和过渡中心）将建立在十年的研究观察和记录超过1，自2008年以来，在巴布亚新几内亚恩加部落内部和部落之间的乡村法院审理了000起习惯法案件。习惯法法院是露天论坛，由当选的地方领导人主持，有广泛的参与，并主持广泛的公众讨论。他们因解决冲突和轻微犯罪而受到政府的制裁，尽管他们经常调解严重犯罪的解决方案。这项研究将审查记录在案的案例的过程和结果，并继续研究新的问题：（1）哪些程序、规范和习俗继续带来令社区满意的决定;哪些没有，为什么？(2)如何在公共论坛上更新规范和价值观，以应对新的现实，如移动的电话通信模式的根本改变、性关系和婚姻规范的变化、战争中的枪支和土地继承？(3)社区成员如何帮助弥补所造成的伤害，并使做错事的人重新成为有生产力的公民？(4)不同违法行为的累犯率是多少？ (5)为什么习惯法院往往比正式法院更受青睐？(6)正式的西部法院和传统的乡村法院之间的关系是如何随着情况的变化而改变的，如何解决不匹配以避免法律的不协调？研究方法包括收集法庭案例资料、跟踪调查赔偿金发放情况、对重点案例参与者进行跟踪访谈（包括习惯法法院官员、参与案件的人员以及观察诉讼程序或协助支付赔偿金的人员），关于累犯的后续数据收集，最后，与治安法官和习惯法法院官员举行讲习班和重点小组讨论会，以了解习惯法法院系统随着时间的推移发生的变化。PI计划使用内容分析方法来确定围绕生殖，生产和社会支持的不断变化的规范;以及与正式法院的不断变化的衔接。这项研究将有助于更好地理解地方、区域和国家系统之间的联系。恢复性司法系统的适应潜力引起了人类学家和其他法律的系统学者的广泛兴趣，该奖项反映了国家科学基金会的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估予以支持。

It has been scientifically well documented that culturally evolved norms as public goods can constrain individual interest and facilitate collective action to overcome tragedies of the commons as well as common tragedies. However, we have little understanding of how existing norms are shifted and new norms evolve, so that justice is seen to be done and cooperation furthered in the face of change. Many jurisdictions have adopted legal pluralism to bring about harmony at different levels of society with formal western-based law courts for administering retributive justice and customary courts negotiating compromise through restorative justice. This project explores the role of these public forums for restorative justice, which are optimal settings for understanding the dynamics of coalescing diverse opinions into norm shifts to maintain community cooperation despite rapid demographic, economic and social change. The project includes educational components that broaden the participation of underrepresented groups in science, and improve the public's understanding of science. The research team will produce educational materials on courts and customs. The work is highly generalizable to other traditional court and restorative justice systems, which will contribute to the field at large.The study conducted by Dr. Polly Wiessner (Arizona State University and the University of Utah) and Mr. Nitze Pupu, J D (Enga Tradition and Transition Centre) will build on a decade of research observing and documenting over 1,000 customary court cases in village courts within and between the tribes of the Enga of Papua New Guinea since 2008. Customary courts are open air forums, manned by elected local leaders, have broad participation, and host extensive public discussion. They are sanctioned by the government for resolving conflicts and minor crimes, although they often mediate settlements for serious ones. The study will examine the processes and outcomes of the documented cases and continue to research new ones asking: (1) Which procedures, norms, and customs continue to bring about decisions that satisfy communities; which do not and why? (2) How are norms and values updated during public forums to address new realities, such as radically altered patterns of communication with mobile phones, changing norms in sexual relations and marriage, guns in warfare, and land inheritance? (3) How do community members assist in making up for harm done and bringing wrong-doers back into the fold as productive citizens? (4) What are rates of recidivism for different infractions? (5) Why are customary courts often favored over formal courts? (6) How are the relations between the formal western-based courts and customary village courts altered in response to changing conditions and how are mismatches resolved to avoid legal dissonance? Methods proposed include the collection of court case data, follow-up data collection on compensation payment, follow-up interviews with participants in key cases (to include customary court officials, those involved in cases, and those that observed proceedings or contributed to restitution payments), follow-up data collection on recidivism, and finally workshops and focus groups with magistrates and customary court officials to get their perspective on changes in the customary court system over time. The PI plans to use content analysis methodologies to identify shifting norms around reproduction, production, and social support; as well as changing articulation with the formal courts. The research will contribute to better understanding of the articulation between local, regional, and national systems. The adaptive potential of restorative justice systems is of wider interest to anthropologists and other scholars of legal systems.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.