«Zonas de contacto» e o presente (pós)colonial

Este texto pretende fazer uma breve discussão do paradigma pós-colonial e das suas implicações na Geografia partindo da análise de duas imagens em resorts no «sul» global, procurando desta forma «materializar» algumas das ideias, conceitos e posturas que o pós-colonialismo nos traz, e usando em particular o termo ‘zonas de contacto’

A Sociedade de Informação em Portugal. A evolução da presença das freguesias açorianas na WWW entre 1999 e 2005

Em Portugal, apenas 35% da população entre os 25 e os 34 anos, e 17% entre os 35 e os 54 anos, concluiu o ensino secundário (metade e um quarto respectivamente da média dos países da OCDE). Ao mesmo tempo, o país regista cerca de 58% da produtividade europeia e 46,5 % da dos Estados Unidos, sendo que apenas 0,6% do Produto Interno Bruto (PIB) é aplicado em Investigação e Desenvolvimento (I&D) – o último lugar da União Europeia (EU) a 15. Estes resultados, aos que se pode adicionar o reduzido número de patentes concedidas a residentes ou as diminutas receitas de royalties e direitos de autor, enquadram o panorama no qual a sociedade de informação, e nomeadamente o desenvolvimento das novas tecnologias se está a processar em Portugal. Este artigo pretende contextualizar o desenvolvimento das novas tecnologias em Portugal, e mais especifi camente analisar a forma como a administração pública nos Açores, ao nível das juntas de freguesia, está a interagir com as tecnologias de informação, nomeadamente na construção de web sites, no período entre 1999 e 2005

Geografias maleáveis : de Achill (Irlanda) a Sambala (Cabo Verde)

Os traços e telas de Paul Henry na ilha de Achill, a re-invenção da paisagem turística da Irlanda, os reposicionamentos cartográficos do país fabricados pelas empresas tecnológicas e pelo governo irlandês, as paisagens criativas, sobrepostas e fantasiadas de John Hinde e Seán Hilley, e o mundo que Sambala material e simbolicamente vai tecendo em Cabo Verde, têm em comum a maleabilidade da geografia e a dinâmica do posicionamento das periferias. A condição de periferia e de isolamento não é fixa ou imutável no tempo, mas é uma qualidade circunstancial e inconstante. Naturalmente que a materialidade da terra e as suas acessibilidades podem ter um papel fundamental na construção da centralidade dos espaços. Mas a forma como vemos a paisagem, como a representamos, como a tratamos, como lhe falamos, como a destilamos e a transmutamos, pode resultar, em determinados contextos, em centralidades muito expressivas

Book review: Touring poverty

Published online: 11 Sep 201

David Harvey: lugares e encontros

The importance of David Harvey's work in the History of Geographical Thought and of Social Sciences is invaluable. Invariably labelled as Marxist or even Post-Marxist, concerned with spatial justice especially in an urban context, his dialectical thinking/work has resulted in fundamental ideas and concepts for the development of Geography and the Social Sciences and has inspired several generations of intellectuals. The aim of this article is to present a panoramic view over the work of this geographer, identifying the very specific moments and places of paradigm change, recognising the importance of biographic details and social and institutional practices on scientific practices and intellectual production. An outline of the importance of his scientific legacy is also provided through a look at the doctoral supervision Harvey has conducted in the last 45 years.A importância da obra de David Harvey na história do pensamento geográfico e das ciências sociais é inestimável. Invariavelmente rotulado de Marxista ou mesmo pós-marxista, preocupado com a justiça espacial sobretudo no contexto urbano, o seu pensamento/trabalho dialético tem resultado em ideias e conceitos fundamentais para o desenvolvimento da Geografia e das Ciências Sociais e tem inspirado diversas gerações de académicos e intelectuais. O objetivo deste artigo é o de fornecer uma panorâmica sobre o trabalho deste geógrafo que cruzou diversos paradigmas na Geografia, identificando os momentos e lugares específicos das mudanças paradigmáticas, reconhecendo a importância de aspetos biográficos e das práticas sociais e institucionais nas práticas científicas e na produção intelectual. Esboça-se ainda a importância do seu legado científico através de uma análise preliminar da orientação de doutoramentos que Harvey conduziu nos últimos 45 anos.David Harvey: places and encounters. The importance of David Harvey’s work in the History of Geographical Thought and of Social Sciences is invaluable. Invariably labelled as Marxist or even Post-Marxist, concerned with spatial justice especially in an urban context, his dialectical thinking/work has resulted in fundamental ideas and concepts for the development of Geography and the Social Sciences and has inspired several generations of intellectuals. The aim of this article is to present a panoramic view over the work of this geographer, identifying the very specific moments and places of paradigm change, recognising the importance of biographic details and social and institutional practices on scientific practices and intellectual production. An outline of the importance of his scientific legacy is also provided through a look at the doctoral supervision Harvey has conducted in the last 45 years.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Lusophonization returns? The condition of language policy and planning in a post-colonial plurilingual Timor-Leste

The present study examines the national language policy and language in education policy in Timor-Leste, a post-colonial nation that has adopted an exogenous language (Portuguese) and an autochthonous language (Tétun) to be its official languages, and two exogenous languages (Indonesian and English) as working languages. Based on an analysis of the findings, it argues that there is convincing evidence that both the policies are moving towards assimilationist exclusionary monolingual Portuguese model. It was originally intended to investigate the use of languages in three senior high schools in Timor-Leste. However, due to logistical and administrative reasons, the study did not eventuate as planned. Instead, the researcher interviewed 13 key informants from parliamentarians, ministry of education officers, high school directors and teachers, as well as government and non-governmental organizations officers, both in Díli, Timor-Leste and subsequently in Hamilton, New Zealand. The objective of the interviews was to gather data on the interviewees’ perspectives on the current national language policy and language policy in education. The study found that the debate of national language policy and its implementation, as well as implications, in educational domains is still vibrant and therefore far from over. The data from the interviewees showed that even some politicians did not agree with the current national language policy, saying that Timor-Leste should only use Tétun at the moment and keep Portuguese for the future. It was also said that there was no time frame apportioned in the implementation of the national language policy and therefore there was a rush toward Portuguese monolingual policy with the risk of devaluing Tétun and other national languages at the same time. While there was a bulk data from interviewees showed that there is an imperative for the development of Tétun to improve its status planning, the language was viewed not politically and financially supported to develop, which some earlier studies had called the state of affair more symbolic than substantial. The language in education policy to use Portuguese as a mandated medium of instruction and Tétun simply to function an auxiliary role posed real challenges to education sector in Timor-Leste. High school principals and teachers complained about the use of Portuguese as medium of instruction and Tétun functions as auxiliary language because in the front line they found out that more than 80% of teachers were not qualified to teach that the majority of the teachers obtained their education in Indonesian, which means that they hardly use Portuguese to teach. There was a mismatch of idealized language policy and reality of language planning and therefore some teachers even said that they had to write their lesson plans in Indonesian, used Google translation to translate them into Portuguese to be used later to transfer knowledge to their students. For ease of students’ understanding, they had to and normally use Tétun, even Indonesian, to explain the content of their teachings. Lack of essential pedagogic materials also mentioned to be complicating the issue. Both principals and teachers suggested that teaching materials had to be provided in accordance with language policy in education, i.e. to be both in Portuguese and Tétun. For professional development of teacher, it was learned that sending teachers away to attend basic Portuguese courses was not sufficient in equipping the teachers to be effective and efficient teachers unless they were given specific training based on their subjects and continued tutoring at their workplaces. The study also explored the extent to which the data from interviewees, and accidentally one classroom observation, indicated degree of plurilingualism in Timor-Leste. The preliminary data showed that at least three languages were used in an interview sessions, with the most four languages used, reflecting the existence of plurilingualism in the country

Space and violence. Critical geographical imagination in face of Syria’s reconstruction

"No prelo"The paper starts by reviewing multiple dimensions of violence, covering systemic, structural, epistemic, and slow violence. This discussion progresses to a brief presentation of forensic architecture and military urbanism, exploring the idea of urbicide, in an attempt to connect space, architecture and urbanism with violence, and aiming at highlighting the importance of the increasing militarization of urban life. I then proceed to illustrate some post-war reconstructions, from Berlin and Warsaw after World War II, to Beirut, more recently. I conclude with some notes on the Syrian case