The Situationist


This blawg "is a forum for scholars, students, lawyers, policy-makers, and interested citizens to examine, discuss, and debate the effect of situational forces—that is, nonsalient factors around and within us—on law, policy, politics, policy theory, and our social, political and economic institutions."

Author: The blawg's creators are Jon Hanson, a professor at Harvard Law School, and Michael McCann, a visiting associate professor at Boston College Law school who also contributes to Sports Law Blog. Contributors include Dan Kahan, a professor at Yale Law School.

Blawg Related Categories: Law Professors • Boston College • Harvard University • Yale University • Law Professor

Recent Posts from The Situationist


  • Situationism in the News

    Below, we’ve posted titles and a brief quotation from some of the Situationist news over the last several weeks. * * * From Fox News: “Romantic Rivalries Stir Religious Feelings” “Rivals on the dating scene…

  • The Situation of Emotional Distress Claims

    Betsy Grey has recently posted her intriguing paper, “Neuroscience and Emotional Harm in Tort Law: Rethinking the American Approach to Free-Standing Emotional Distress Claims” on SSRN.  Here’s the abstract. * * * American tort law…

  • Aaron Kay, “The Psychological Power of the Status Quo”

    Situationist Contributor Aaron Kay is an Assistant Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Waterloo in Canada. Professor Kay’s research has focused on the integration of implicit social-cognitive processes with the study of broad…

  • The Situation of Mortgage Defaults

    Brent White recently posted his thoughtful paper, “Underwater and Not Walking Away: Shame, Fear and the Social Management of the Housing Crisis” on SSRN.  Here’s the abstract. * * * Despite reports that homeowners are…

  • The Situation of the “Invisible Hand”

    Yesterday, Paul Rosenberg published an intriguing situationist piece at Open Left about the context and meaning of Adam Smith’s “invisible hand.”   Here are some excerpts. * * * What if Adam Smith’s “invisible hand” argument…

  • Steven Pinker at Harvard Law School

    On Tuesday, November 17, The HLS Student Association for Law and Mind Sciences (SALMS) and the HLS Harvard Graduate Mind, Brain, and Behavior (MBB) Steering Committee are hosting a talk by Steven Pinker entitled “A…

  • Situationism in the Blogosphere – October 2009, Part II

    Below, we’ve posted titles and a brief quotation from some of our favorite non-Situationist situationist blogging during October 2009 (they are listed in alphabetical order by source). * * * From Deliberations: “When They Don’t…

  • A System-Justification Primer

    Here is a worthwhile Blogging Heads clip in which Josh Knobe interviews Situationist Contributor John Jost regarding the success of George W. Bush. * * * * * * To review a related set of…

  • The Situation of Lawyers’ Complicity

    Cassandra Burke Robertson recently posted her intriguing article, “Judgment, Identity, and Independence” (Connecticut Law Review, 2009) on SSRN.  Here’s the abstract. * * * Whenever a new corporate or governmental scandal erupts, onlookers ask “Where…

  • Geoffrey Cohen on “Identity, Belief, and Bias”

    Situationist Contributor, Geoffrey Cohen spoke at the Second Project on Law and Mind Sciences (PLMS) Conference (in March of 2008).  His talk, titled “Identity, Belief, and Bias” summarized research exploring the way in which motivations…