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Cultural Norms As A Source Of Law: The Example Of Bottled Water, Christine A. Klein, Ling-Yee Huang

Christine A. Klein

As a metaphor for the interaction of law and culture, a crystal-clear bottle of water is striking in its simplicity and purity. Bottled water has spawned a rich subculture of beverage drinkers, united by the truths and myths of bottled water that they embrace. More recently, an equally fertile subculture of bottled water protest has begun to coalesce. Notably, the cultural norms evidenced by supporters and detractors go far beyond mere hydration, touching upon such far-flung notions as health, taste, convenience, status, morality, truth-telling, and anti-privatization. In contrast, the legal narrative is surprisingly sparse, overlooking an important opportunity to engage …