CFP: History of Communication Studies in the Portuguese-Speaking World
Jeff Pooley
Symposium: History of Communication Studies in the Portuguese-Speaking World
Dates: 11 and 12 December 2025
Venue: Virtual
Organizers: Filipa Subtil, LIACOM/ESCS-Politécnico de Lisboa, Portugal and Rafiza Varão, Universidade de Brasília, Brazil
Portuguese- and Spanish-language version of the call are available here.
Call for Papers
Communication and media studies have historically been narrated or recounted from canons centered on the Anglophone world, especially the USA, erasing intellectual traditions, voices, and contexts that have grown up outside of and challenged this hegemony. This symposium will give participants an opportunity to map, critique, and celebrate the histories of communication studies in the Portuguese-speaking world - including Portugal, Brazil, Portuguese-speaking African countries (PALOP), East Timor, Macau, and the diasporas - by inquiring into how the dynamics of colonialism, post-colonialism, dictatorships, and globalization have shaped the field. We have a twofold commitment: to decentre dominant narratives, highlighting epistemologies, institutions, and marginalized figures; and to connect the multiple Portuguese-speaking world traditions, exploring transatlantic dialogues and tensions and resistances. We encourage papers that explore connections among Portugal, Africa, Brazil, East Timor, and Macau, as well as connections with other countries and regions in the “Global South.”
We invite proposals that address, but are not limited to, the following topics:
1. Field Genealogies
- National or regional histories of communication and media studies in Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, East Timor, and Macau;
- Influential figures, forgotten pioneers,(e.g. women and members of other marginalized groups), as well as intellectual networks;
- The role of universities, associations, and scientific journals in establishing the field.
2. Colonialism, dictatorships and resistances
- Communication as an instrument of power during Portuguese colonialism and the dictatorships of the 20th century;
- Communication theories and practices developed in contexts of anti-colonial struggle and post-independence;
- The place of the portuguese language as a vehicle of domination and/or emancipation.
3. History of the transatlantic dialogues and hegemonies
- The influence of Anglo-Saxon, French, and German traditions on the Portuguese-speaking world;
- Circulation of ideas between Brazil, Africa, Asia and Portugal: appropriations, adaptations, and resistances;
- The myth of the “universality” of North American models and their local critiques.
4. Alternative epistemologies
- Decolonial, feminist, and anti-racist perspectives in Portuguese language studies;
- Indigenous, Afro-diasporic, and community knowledge in the history of communication research;
- The impact of social movements (e.g. land struggles, Indigenous rights, Black feminisms) on communication theory.
5. Contemporary challenges
- The place of the Portuguese-speaking world in global debates in the history of communication;
- Digitalisation, platforms, and new forms of exclusion/epistemocide;
- Pedagogical proposals for decolonizing communication education.
In this way, we hope to contribute to a broader global understanding of the history and traditions of communication research in the Portuguese-speaking world as well as to foster new opportunities for collaboration between researchers and academics from different parts of the world.
Organization
This symposium is an initiative of LIACOM/Escola Superior de Comunicação Social, Politécnico de Lisboa, ICNOVA and the Faculdade de Comunicação, Universidade de Brasília, in partnership with Associação Portuguesa de Ciências da Comunicação, Associação Moçambicana de Ciências da Comunicação e da Informação, Sociedade Brasileira de Estudos Interdisciplinares da Comunicação, and with the scholar-run US journal History of Media Studies. Our aim is to strengthen critical research networks in the Portuguese-speaking community.
Calendar
Extended abstracts (3.000 characters including spaces and excluding bibliography) must be sent in Portuguese, English or Spanish by 30 July 2025 to:
Decisions will be announced by 30 September 2025.
Registration for the symposium will run from 1 October to 15 November 2025. To help with the costs of simultaneous translation and the organisation of the event, a symbolic registration fee will be charged (20 euros/120 reais). If the participant does not have institutional support, he/she/they should contact the organization in order to assess a possible waiver from the registration fee.
Papers must be sent to the organizers by 30 November in order to be circulated among commentators.
Other relevant information
Potential publication in History of Media Studies journal
Selected papers may be considered for publication in a special issue of the open access, scholar-run journal *History of Media Studies_. The deadline for submitting full articles for peer review will be 30 May 2026.