Dossier presentation – coevalness, post-coloniality, diaspora(s) and africanity(ies): paths of african studies in brazil

Abstract

The concepts of coevalness and postcoloniality refer to movements that intend to widen the perspectives of the Social Sciences towards contemporary Africa, raising relevant critical questions on the eurocentric bias of its classic theoretical framework. Research experiences in African settings, specially in Portuguese-Speaking African Countries (PALOP), are a significant component of Brazilian research and graduate programs internationalization and a source of fundamental knowledge to strenghten the Education of Ethnic and Racial Relations (EERR) in Brazilian educational institutions. This thematic issue convene articles that aim to understand African contemporaneity both by analyzing historical data under new concepts and approaches from the Social Sciences and/or by rediscussing established theoretical and methodological frameworks over new research issues and evidence, as well as emerging conflicts and social practices in Africa. In order to introduce the dossier, this article follows the construction and main criticisms toward the concepts that sustain it: coevalness and postcoloniality. By the end, we seek to show how these concepts limitations and potentials become more evident in dialogue with the concepts of africanity and diaspora.

Keywords

• coetaneidade
• pós-colonialidade
• africanidade.