1st Edition
Portugal in the 21st Century
Portugal in the 21st Century provides a thorough yet accessible picture of contemporary Portugal in the first two decades of the twenty-first century.
It examines and elucidates Portugal’s recent trajectory, its current position, and the main challenges it faces through an examination of the principal dimensions of cultural, economic, political, and social development in the country. Bringing together some of the foremost Portuguese experts in each of these areas, it draws on a diverse knowledge across the social sciences and humanities – including anthropologists, art historians, economists, historians, legal scholars, literary scholars, political scientists, biologists, and sociologists – to create a multidimensional portrait of contemporary Portuguese society.
Key features:
- Organised into nine substantive chapters – each of which covers a major area of Portugal’s contemporary existence – from its national identity and political system to its economy, scientific, literary, and artistic production.
- Opens with a general introduction providing historical context, and a chapter on Portuguese national identity.
- Thematic chapters focus on social, political, economic, and cultural developments of the last two decades.
This book provides a comprehensive, erudite yet accessible introduction to contemporary Portugal and is essential reading for students, scholars, and readers interested in Portugal, Portuguese and Southern European politics and culture, Iberian, or Iberian-American studies and more broadly to European and Comparative Politics.
Introduction
Patrícia Silva and Pedro C. Magalhães
1. The Nation
José Manuel Sobral
2. The Welfare State
Rui Branco and Pedro Adão e Silva
3. Politics
Carlos Jalali
4. The Economy
Susana Peralta
5. Society
Alice Ramos
6. Science
Joana Gonçalves-Sá
7. The Arts
António Pinto Ribeiro
8. Literature
Helena Buescu
9. Portugal in the European Union
Isabel Camisão and Sandra Fernandes
Biography
Nuno Monteiro was Associate Professor of Political Science at Yale University, USA.
Patrícia Silva is Assistant Professor and a researcher at the Governance, Competitiveness and Public Policies Research Centre (GOVCOPP), at the University of Aveiro, Portugal.
Pedro C. Magalhães is Senior Researcher at the Institute of Social Sciences at the University of Lisbon, Portugal.
“As a committed multilateralist, but also as a proud Portuguese, I’m delighted to see a book about my country that covers the fundamental aspects of contemporary Portugal in the 21st Century written by a highly competent group of scholars.”
António Guterres, UN Secretary-General
"Portugal in the 21st Century is a book of remarkable breadth and depth, offering unique insight into the nation’s history, politics, society, and culture. It is a must-read for anyone interested in Portugal’s past, present, and future."
Charles A. Kupchan, Georgetown University and Council on Foreign Relations, USA
“The editors have gathered a stellar group of eleven of their colleagues to bring us a very timely analysis of Portugal in the 21st Century. This collection of remarkably succinct and accessible essays by some of Portugal’s most eminent and articulate scholars is an exciting, enlightening, and essential read for anyone seeking to understand Europe's current dilemmas.”
Kenneth Maxwell, former Senior Fellow of the Council of Foreign Relations, author of The Making of Portuguese Democracy (2009).
"This book is an absolutely invaluable guide for anyone interested in the political system of contemporary Portugal.”
Constanze Stelzenmüller, Director of Center on the United States and Europe, Brookings Institution, USA.
