Paper short abstract:

Portugal’s place at a crossroads of the Euro-American and the south Atlantic routes of intellectual exchange has recently reaffirmed itself. In this paper I show how such reaffirmation has been largely possible through an immersion in a global anthropological network such as the one WCAA promoted.

Paper long abstract:

Portugal's place at a crossroads of the Euro-American routes of intellectual exchange and the south Atlantic routes has recently reaffirmed itself as an important mark in the way Portuguese social sciences intervene in the global scientific debate. In this presentation I will argue that in the case of anthropology, such reaffirmation has been made possible not only by bilateral relationships (for instance between Portuguese and Brazilian anthropology), but mostly by the immersion in a global anthropological network. Having as a formal objective to promote a better understanding among anthropologists working in different languages and national and regional traditions, WCAA acted in the last decade as a key platform in the promotion of such global anthropological network. Taking as a case in point journal indexations in Portuguese universities in the last decade, as well as the routes of national conferences, I will argue in favor of the role of WCAA not only in promoting anthropology globally but, more specifically, in crossing anthropologies in smaller scales of connection. The fact that many anthropologists in Portugal meet colleagues of the Portuguese speaking world through their commonality in intellectual traditions will be here addressed, with specific references of cases that occurred in the last decade and our prospective aims for the next decade in the life of WCAA.