Contemporary Portuguese Culture

Objectives

1. Objectives:

1.1. To reflect about the concepts of Culture and national culture.

1.2. To deepen the understanding of Portuguese national identity and culture, its past and contemporaneity.

1.3. To recognize the core aspects of Portuguese Culture.

1.4. To deepen and reflect about the various contemporary positions about Portugal’s place in Europe, both present and future.

1.5. To develop the capacity to link diverse knowledge and motivate critical thinking.

2. Competencies:

2.1. To master the concept of national culture.

2.2. To develop the capacity to reflect about the positions of various essayist about the Portuguese way of being.

2.3. To critically reflect about the literary portraits of Portugal presented by specific authors.

Program

1. Introduction

1.1 The concept of Culture and its applications to the History of Portuguese Culture. Contrast with closely related concepts (Civilization, Distinction, Erudition, Nature, Ideology).

1.2 Brief chronological review of the History of Portugal. Peninsular and European Portugal.

2. Questions of national identity: the Portuguese case.

2.1 Political factors: State, territory and Constitution.

2.2 Socio-cultural factors: language, religion, ethnicity, history, myths, art.

3. The Portuguese way of being: the portrayal of Portuguese Culture according to contemporary authors.

3.1 Fernando Pessoa, the people of “heróis adiados” and the drive of the “Quinto Império” in Mensagem.

3.2 Jorge Dias and the “fundamental elements of Portuguese culture”.

3.3 The psychoanalytical reading of Eduardo Lourenço. Structural messianic elements and lost opportunities.

4. Portugal vis-à-vis the Iberian Peninsula and Europe: hostility or integration? Jangada de Pedra by José Saramago.

Teaching Methodologies

The classes will be theoretical-practical, with a portion destined to exposition and a practical part in which there will be in-depth discussion of the texts being commented. During the one-on-one time allotted to students they will be helped in order to facilitate the learning process, namely by clarifying issues and by providing them with guidelines about study and research methods as well as the best way to write term papers.

Bibliography

COELHO, A. B., «A identidade portuguesa no dealbar do 3º milénio» in ROSAS, Fernando, e ROLLO, Maria Fernanda (coord.) (1998), Portugal na viragem do século – Os portugueses e os desafios do milénio, Lisboa, Pavilhão de Portugal - Expo'98/Assírio e Alvim; pp. 65-97.

LOURENÇO, E. [1988], O labirinto da saudade - Psicanálise mítica do destino português, Lisboa, Círculo de Leitores.

MATTOSO, J. (1998), A identidade nacional, 1ª ed., col. «Fundação Mário Soares», Lisboa, Fundação Mário Soares/Gradiva.

PIRES, A. M. (1997/98), «A identidade portuguesa», Arquipélago (Línguas e literaturas), nº XV, Ponta Delgada, Universidade dos Açores; pp.319-330.

_____ (1994), «O carácter português», Anais do Instituto Superior Naval de Guerra, nº 8, Lisboa, Instituto Superior Naval de Guerra; pp. 35-53.

SILVA, A. Santos e JORGE, V. O. (orgs.) (19939, Existe uma cultura portuguesa?, Porto, Edições Afrontamento.

SMITH, A. (1997), A identidade nacional, Lisboa, Gradiva.