The idea of "Europe" has been persistently challenged by cultural studies in its rethinking of identification processes, and the links uniting apparently separated continents (Hall, Gilroy). The redefinition and questioning of the concept of culture - as proposed by contemporary anthropology, with its emphasis on movement (Clifford), border-crossings (Rosaldo), and the role of spatial practices in the production of difference (Ferguson/Gupta) - have alsoplayed a decisive role in the rethinking of national and transnational identities on a local and global scale. These theoretical framings and the subsequent methodological questions offer decisive contributions to reconsiderdisciplines and the constitution of objects of study. The author proposes a set of reflections, as far as questions of identity, race, and ethnicity are concerned, taking into account developments in contemporary Portugal.
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