Cultural History, Memories and Identities

The research area called “História Cultural, Memórias e Identidades” emphasizes the study of cultural practices and representations, which, in turn, attribute meaning and sense to the world. In the light of methodologies critical of eurocentric, universalist, racist and sexist narratives research conducted in this research line prioritize post-colonialism and deconstructivism, so as to be able to understand the world in historical terms. The approaches in this field are also open to interdisciplinarity, widening our understanding of historical representations and social imaginary built and communicated under a guise of several languages. These, in turn, take place in different places and temporalities – with special regard to oral narrative, imagery, cinema, media, music, fictional literature, virtual realities, law usages, historiography and teaching. Research in progress include the following thematic areas: gender and sexuality, collective memory and identities under rule of force, diaspora identity and racism, memory, patrimony and urban life; discourse, power, historical culture and historiography as well as schooling culture and history teaching.

Supervisors: Anderson Ribeiro Oliva, Cláudia Costa Brochado, Diva do Couto Gontijo Muniz, Edlene Oliveira Silva, Eloísa Pereira Barroso, Maria Fernanda Derntl, Susane Rodrigues de Oliveira.

 

Social History and its Multiple Forms

Research conducted under this area gives pride of place to the several, different possibilities of developing Social History-inspired studies. Thus, this line explores approaches, methodologies and other themes related to studying individual as well as collective shared, social experiences. Special emphasis is laid on how individual lived their political lives, guided by rationality, cultural and economical practices. It also faces traditional debates on historical agency in relation or opposition to structural constraints. While giving special focus to human action, this is underlined by approached based on social conflict – either of class, gender or ethnicity.

Supervisors: Ana Flávia Magalhães Pinto, André Cabral Honor, Bruno Leal Pastor de Carvalho, Jonas Wilson Pegoraro, Luiz Paulo Ferreira Nogueról, Marcelo Balaban, Marcos Aurélio de Paula Pereira, Mateus Gamba Torres.

 

Ideas, Historiography and Theory

This research area comprises scholars devoted to historical study of phenomena linked to printed output, spread of ideas and the analysis of social practices, structures and places linked to them. Taking that scope into account, this research line encompasses research work related to the most varied epochs and societies, favouring transcultural and interdisciplinary approaches. In the immense field of intellectual practices and phenomena this line of work emphasizes, most strongly, those of historiographical character. “Historiography” here means not just the collective output more strictly tied to the historian’s craft but also, in a broader sense any intellectual artefact where interpretative joints fit past, present and future. This way, “historiography” points toward both experienced areas as well as expectation horizons. Historicity is thus not only the affair of the historian’s craft, but is shared by the many arts, fictional literature, philosophy and other human sciences. Research is thus favoured in the broadest sense of the term. Besides the history of historiography, this research line also holds projects turned toward practical-theoretical points regarding research, writing and historical schooling. Such projects take place in dialogue with literary theory, epistemology, phenomenology, philosophy of education and hermeneutics, all toward the shared goals of research related to methodology, poetics of discourse, didactics and schooling.

Supervisors: André Gustavo de Melo Araújo, Arthur Oliveira Alfaix Assis, Daniel Barbosa Andrade de Faria, Estevão Chaves de Rezende Martins, Luiz César de Sá.

 

Politics, Institutions and Power Relations

The understanding of political history in this research area reaches several timings and spaces, by way of social discourse and the exertion of political power itself. Regarding contemporary times, researchers in this line understand that the State and its institutions are privilege study objects; nonetheless, other instances of power are not discarded. The latter may interact with state-like forms, either by cooperation as well as concurrence, opposition and resistance. The dynamics of power take also into account gender and interpersonal relations. Regarding pre-modern societies, scholars in this line work on the many juridical / political historical formations, the manifold manifestations of power and how public authority is configured, as well as the religious and secular links found in political models.

Supervisors: Carlos Eduardo Vidigal, Francisco Doratioto, Henrique Modanez de Sant'Anna, José Luiz de Andrade Franco, Maria Filomena Pinto da Costa Coelho, Teresa Cristina Novaes Marques, Vicente Dobroruka, Virgílio Caixeta Arraes.