Thematic lines

Research developed within CRIA’s research groups is complemented by the activities of three thematic lines and two working groups. Although specific in their core subjects, these lines and groups crosscut the research groups’ activity, bringing together their researchers. The work carried out by the thematic lines and working groups has significantly contributed to CRIA’s engagement with civil society and other academic institutions, reinforcing CRIA’s scientific capability, favouring multi-disciplinary dialogues, and promoting a dynamic and innovative approach to anthropology.

Anthropology of Health

The thematic line Anthropology of Health develops anthropological studies on health, illness, body and suffering, cure and care, focusing particularly on social transformations and their connection to health policies, the economic crisis, the increase in poverty and the emergence of new vulnerabilities in current contemporary contexts.

NAVA – Visual Anthropology and Arts Laboratory

The thematic line NAVA – Visual Anthropology and Arts Laboratory gathers researchers who work in the fields of anthropology of art, anthropology of performance and visual cultures, articulating academic interests with film and artistic production, namely ethnographic.

AZIMUT – Studies in Arab and Islamic Contexts

The thematic line AZIMUT – Studies in Arab and Islamic Contexts focuses on different Islamic contexts as ethnographic fields, and fosters debates on dominant categories and on its associated risks of essencialization.

Anthropology of Religion

The working group Anthropology of Religion (NAR) focuses on anthropological research on religion in Portugal and around the world. It collaborates with other research groups and network in Portugal and the world to foster national and international exchange and scientific production on topics such as beliefs, spirituality, post-secularisation, the sacred, and its articulation with broader issues like governance of migrations.

CEAS - South Asian Studies Circle

South Asian Studies Circle (CEAS) draws on the strengths of researchers who focus on varied locations within the subcontinent and have diverse research interests. Central to the aims of the study circle is the correction of the tendency within the field where the study of India replaces the study of this vast geographical space of great diversity. CEAS aims at organising periodic events and discussion forums around the complex variety of themes within the scope of South Asian Studies, addressing critical issues and approaches of global significance. By encouraging knowledge sharing and promoting teamwork, CEAS intends to develop research projects that bring together researchers from different areas around a theme as comprehensive and transdisciplinary as South Asian Studies.

Political Ecology Working Group (PEWG)

The Political Ecology Working Group (PEWG) is a collaborative space for critical research and intervention on the political dimension of ecology. Building on the potential of ethnographic research, the PEWG aims to promote active participation in society through dialogue, collaboration and the co-production of knowledge. The Working Group brings together scholars from diverse fields of interest who want to explore and debate not only the political dimensions of ecology, but also the socio-ecological implications of a wider range of societal, cultural and political issues.