CES Almedina Collection | Series "Identidades e Interculturalidades" | 2015

Presented by Boaventura de Sousa Santos | Comments by Maria Paula Meneses

Synopsis: This book aims to rethink the effects of Portuguese colonialism in the current era of Portuguese postcoloniality in light of  a polyphonic meeting with  people of the 'South', with Portuguese researchers, thinkers, writers, journalists and researchers in a reflective 'vis a vis' on the following topics: a) narratives of life and identity in colonial times; b) the crossing between human reality of the overseas experience and the political and economic socio-cultural reality of  the post-April 25 metropolis; c) Portugal's historical consciousness re its Other-people and the manner Portugal has represented itself, at times as a nation that celebrates its lusotropicalist epic, at times as a European nation; d) the various portraits of Portuguese postcoloniality. This attempt at dialogue was possible considering a methodological approach inspired by the theoretical proposal of  Boaventura de Sousa Santos, the sociology of absences, redefined here as postcolonial sociology of absences, which aims to reflect on what  Portuguese postcoloniality is today.