Lusófona researcher publishes book with international publisher

Patrícia Ferraz de Matos, an integrated researcher at CeiED, Lusófona University, published in May 2026 the paperback edition of the book Anthropology, Nationalism and Colonialism: Mendes Correia and the Porto School of Anthropology, with the prestigious publisher Berghahn Books.

The book is the result of extensive research on the Porto School of Anthropology and an analysis of the work of its leading figure – Mendes Correia (1888–1960) – throughout the first half of the twentieth century. While centred on Portugal, the study also adopts a comparative perspective with other contemporary contexts of the period, particularly Brazil, where numerous personal, intellectual and scientific exchanges were established.

In Portugal, the institutionalisation of anthropology as a scientific discipline took place within the broader process of development of scientific institutions and disciplines whose fields of study evolved throughout the late nineteenth century. This was the case for geology, archaeology, natural sciences and medicine on the one hand, and philology, history and ethnography on the other.

This process was always associated with political and ideological factors. Among these, particular attention should be given to concerns surrounding the construction and strengthening of the then-called colonial empire, as well as efforts to understand the origins, ethnic identity and cultural practices of the Portuguese people. Nationalism, associated with an ethnic-racial paradigm and also with eugenics, influenced both scientific and political discourse and practice.

By analysing the role played by the Porto School of Anthropology, as well as the life and work of its central figure – Mendes Correia – the book aims to:

• Contribute to a better understanding of the production of anthropological knowledge;
• Analyse the broader scientific history of which this production forms part;
• Understand political discourse and practices across successive regimes;
• Increase global knowledge of the connections between science and politics during the period under study.

More information here