ABSTRACT
This chapter begins by exploring both its development and its significant impact on law schools. Despite glimpses of potential for emotions to be recognised in both, it was evident that the doctrinal and liberal traditions of legal education have largely perpetuated the form of Cartesian dualism which dichotomises reason and emotions, devaluing the latter. The exact definition of socio-legal studies has been disputed throughout its development, but overall it has evolved from a specific focus on the application of sociological principles to law, into a much broader pluralistic approach. Taking a narrow definition of “socio-legal”, focused on the application of principles from social science, suggests that there has been little relatively socio-legal engagement with the emotions. The existing body of law and emotions scholarship developed, at least partially, from the work of feminists and critical legal scholars who challenged the positivist claims of law as neutral and objective.
