Abstract

LINS, Luiza; BRASIL, Julia Alves  and  CABECINHAS, Rosa. “The History of my Country”: Reflections on Social Memory and the Futures of the Past in the Narratives of Portuguese Youth. Revista Crítica de Ciências Sociais [online]. 2024, n.133, pp.97-120.  Epub Mar 31, 2024. ISSN 2182-7435.  https://doi.org/10.4000/11pr6.

This paper proposes a reflection on the tensions and ambiguities present in the (re)construction of social memory and examines individual visions of history, the ones on which futures are built for the Portuguese past. In particular, we analysed the narratives of 145 secondary school students in Portugal who were asked to comment on the country’s history. The Carnation Revolution was the main historical milestone mentioned, with references to the end of the dictatorial regime, the struggle for freedom and equal opportunities. However, what was not mentioned were the struggles for national liberation of formerly colonized peoples. There were indeed reaffirmations of the country’s glorious and expansionist past in the “Age of Discoveries”, historiographic myths and cultural variants about what it means to “be Portuguese”. Therefore, we underscore the importance of critical education and the decolonization of history, so that alternative futures can emerge dissociated from the values associated with domination.

Keywords : coloniality of knowledge; epistemological decolonization; history of Portugal; Portuguese identity; social memory.

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