João Figueiredo Profile Page
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| 2 years ago |
Contact Info
| João Figueiredo | |
| João | |
| de Castro | |
| Figueiredo | |
| Social Science across the Globe: Africa columnist | |
| Faculdade de Letras - Universidade de Coimbra | |
| Portuguese - Angolan | |
| Send Email | |
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About Me
| I graduated in biocultural Anthropology at the University of Coimbra, but soon became as proficient with the biological side of our science as a high schooler…
While an undergrad, my main interest was the use of old photos in the Portuguese heritage industry, and all the politics of memory attached to it. I worked closely with the field of literary theory, namely gender studies and post-colonial theory, while becoming increasingly interested in historical anthropology. I became engrossed in this field of inquiry while I lived in Iceland, where I studied for a year, and ever since mingled Anthropology with History. When I started my graduate studies I took a degree in Human Rights and International Law. During this period, I tried to apply the insights I had from my social sciences background to the juridical analysis of cases that baffled my fellow law students. Namely the witchcraft accusations and abuses taking place in Europe, among African communities. After this short phase, I started my PHD, this time studying Contemporary History, focusing on Angola – my other motherland. My current thesis relates to all the different themes that interested me during the last few years: I study the evolution of the concept of “feitiço” (“witchcraft” or “sorcery” depending on your stand on Evans-Pritchard…) in Angola, and all the politics of memory that surround the use of it by quarreling nationalist movements. During the last year I lived in Angola, working as an University lecturer in Luanda. Now I’m back to Portugal spending my days in a not-so-sunny archive. Oh, and the tree you see me standing next to… Well, it used to belong to the sorcerer that lived at the University’s campus… |
Publications
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CV
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