SOBRE A IDENTIDADE DA PESQUISA JURÍDICA

Abstract

This article investigates the identity of legal research within the Brazilian academic context, analyzing the symbolic disputes that define what is considered “properly legal.” Grounded in Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of social fields, the article argues that the definition of legal research constitutes, essentially, a “field struggle,” in which different agents compete for the authority to establish the legitimate boundaries of legal knowledge. Although legal research frequently draws on theoretical and methodological approaches from other disciplines, this does not entail the dissolution of its disciplinary identity. On the contrary, the article proposes criteria that recognize the specificity of the legal gaze without reducing it to traditional dogmatics, while valuing interdisciplinary contributions that enrich the understanding of legal phenomena. The methodology combines bibliographic review with attentive observation of informal academic practices — particularly those that emerge during doctoral qualification exams and thesis defenses — thus capturing both institutional discourses and tacit legitimating criteria within the field. The article analyzes the social construction of the identity of legal research, discusses dogmatic and non-dogmatic approaches, proposes identity criteria, and examines the practical implications of a pluralist conception, contributing to a more reflective understanding of how legal knowledge is produced and validated