Beyond the Centre: Transformations, Otherness and Identity in the Portuguese-Speaking World 3305-PC-01

The course is devoted to the analysis of social transformations, experiences of otherness and migratory phenomena in Portugal and Brazil, viewed from a “beyond the centre” perspective – geographical (province, interior, favela), social (working classes, internal and international migrants) and symbolic (voices and narratives that are usually marginalised). It begins with the historical formation of Portuguese–Brazilian relations (the colonial empire, slavery, European migrations to Brazil, the long-term emigration of Portuguese people), and then focuses on contemporary mobilities: internal migrations in both countries, immigration to Portugal (in particular the Brazilian community), and the presence of Poles in the Portuguese-language space.
The class is organised as a seminar in which scholarly texts from migration studies, history and sociology are juxtaposed with fiction, reportage and other cultural texts. We analyse, among others: the prose of Clarice Lispector (A hora da estrela) as a record of the experience of an internal migrant in Rio de Janeiro; the essays of Henryk Siewierski and the poetry of Tomasz Łychowski as examples of Polish “from the inside” perspectives on Brazil; Izabela Klementowska’s reportage; selected musical pieces, including those by José Miguel Wisnik; cinematic representations of migration and violence (As polacas); and texts devoted to spiritual tourism (including debates around ayahuasca), all examined from a critical perspective, without promoting the use of psychoactive substances. Our interest lies not only in "migration statistics”, but also in language, emotions and strategies of speaking about oneself and others – in how migration inscribes itself in everyday life, memory and imagination.
Disclaimer: Some of the materials presented in this course may contain content that is difficult to process for sensitive individuals (e.g. violence, coarse language or explicit sexual content). Please take this into account when deciding whether to enrol in the course.

Type of course

elective courses

Mode

Classroom

Prerequisites (description)

The aim of the course is to develop skills of critical reading and interpretation of a variety of materials (literary, journalistic, academic and media texts) in the context of centre–periphery relations and the categories of race, class, gender and origin. Students will further develop their ability to work with Portuguese- and Polish-language texts, learn to formulate their own theses and arguments, and prepare short case studies (for example on a specific neighbourhood, migrant group, transnational family or cultural work). The course is intended for those interested not only in the “canonical” image of Portugal and Brazil, but above all in what happens at their margins – where the tensions, conflicts and creative potential of contemporary migrations are most clearly visible.

Course coordinators

Aleksandra Pajek

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes for the course
Knowledge – on completion of the course the student:
knows and understands the main types of migration (internal, external, forced, voluntary) in Portugal and Brazil and their historical background (colonialism, slavery, Portuguese emigration, immigration to Brazil and Portugal).
Related programme outcomes: K_W01, K_W03, K_W04, K_W06, K_W08, K_W09.

knows the basic concepts and research approaches used in the humanities-based study of migration, otherness and centre–periphery relations in the Portuguese-speaking world.
Related: K_W01, K_W02, K_W03, K_W04, K_W08.

knows selected literary works, reportages, films and critical texts (including by Clarice Lispector, Michel Laub, Henryk Siewierski, Tomasz Łychowski, Izabela Klementowska, the film As polacas) that address migratory experiences in Portugal and Brazil.
Related: K_W06, K_W08, K_W09.

understands cultural and linguistic representations of Poles in the Portuguese-speaking world (e.g. differentiated uses of the terms polaco/polonês) and their links to the history of migration and processes of stereotyping.
Related: K_W02, K_W04, K_W06, K_W08, K_W09.

Skills – on completion of the course the student:
is able to analyse and interpret literary, reportorial, essayistic, film and media texts concerning migration, otherness and peripheries in Portugal and Brazil, using basic tools of the humanities.
Related: K_U01, K_U03, K_U05, K_U06.

is able to juxtapose and compare different representations of migration (e.g. internal migration in Brazil, migration of Brazilians to Portugal, experiences of Poles in the Portuguese-speaking world) and to formulate their own conclusions on this basis.
Related: K_U01, K_U03, K_U04, K_U05, K_U06.

is able to prepare a short case study (e.g. concerning a selected group of migrants, an urban district, a transnational family or a single cultural work) and present it in oral or written form.
Related: K_U01, K_U03, K_U04, K_U06, K_U07, K_U08.

is able to use Portuguese- and Polish-language sources (academic and popular) on migration and the culture of the Portuguese-speaking world, to assess them critically and incorporate them into their own argumentation.
Related: K_U01, K_U02, K_U03, K_U05, K_U07, K_U08.

Social competences – on completion of the course the student:
is ready to engage in critical reflection on stereotypes and prejudices concerning migrants, postcolonial societies and their own position with regard to centre and periphery.
Related: K_K01, K_K03, K_K05, K_K06, K_K08.

appreciates the importance of cultural diversity in Portugal and Brazil and the responsibility involved in representing minority and migrant groups in public discourse.
Related: K_K02, K_K03, K_K06, K_K07, K_K08.

is prepared to further and independently deepen their knowledge of migration and the culture of the Portuguese-speaking world, including in the context of future thesis projects.
Related: K_K01, K_K02, K_K07, K_K08.

Assessment criteria

Participants in the course will be assessed on the basis of:
attendance (two unexcused absences are allowed; each additional unexcused absence lowers the final grade by half a grade),
participation in discussions and in-class activity, including short presentations.

With regard to the use of AI tools in the learning process, the general guidelines of the University of Warsaw’s Council for Teaching (URK) apply: https://dokumenty.uw.edu.pl/dziennik/DURK/Lists/Dziennik/Attachments/134/DURK.2023.98.UURK.98.pdf

Bibliography

As Polacas, reż. João Jardim, Brazylia 2023
Magdalena Bąk, Lidia Romaniszyn-Ziomek, „Gdzie ziemia się kończy, a morze zaczyna. Szkice polsko-portugalskie”, Katowice: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego, 2016.
Amanda Alves Borges, Ivaneli Schreinert dos Santos, Luiz Gonzaga Godoi Trigo, Heros Augusto Santos Lobo, "Turismo espiritual: quais são as motivações dos viajantes em busca da espiritualidade?”, Revista de Turismo Contemporâneo 10(3) / 2022, s. 470–492.
Stephen Castles, Mark J. Miller, Migracje we współczesnym świecie, trans. A. Gąsior-Niemiec, Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, 2011.
Paulo Coelho, O diário de um mago (orig., 1987) / Pielgrzym, trans. Krystyna Szeżyńska-Maćkowiak, Warszawa: Świat Książki (various editions).
Maria Danilewicz-Zielińska, Polonica portugalskie, Warszawa: Towarzystwo "Więź”, 2005.
Duval Fernandes, João Peixoto, Andrea Poleto Oltramari, "A quarta onda da imigração brasileira em Portugal: uma história breve”, Revista Latinoamericana de Población (RELAP) 15(29) / 2021, s. 34–63.
Karolina Golemo, "Nowi Portugalczycy? Afrodescendentes i ich miejsce w społeczeństwie”, Politeja 19(1[76]) / 2022, s. 7–29.
Maria Cristina Sousa Gomes, Maria João Guardado Moreira, Maria Luís Rocha Pinto, "Movimentos migratórios internos em Portugal (1995–2011): caracterização exploratória considerando grupos de idades, níveis de habilitações e atividade”, Sociologia, Problemas e Práticas 83 / 2017, s. 109–129.
Iza Klementowska, Samotność Portugalczyka, Wołowiec: Wydawnictwo Czarne, 2014.
Edyta Koper, „Polskie rodziny transnarodowe: dzieci, rodzice, instytucje i więzi z krajem w świetle raportu Komitetu Badań nad Migracjami Polskiej Akademii Nauk”, Facta Simonidis 11(1) / 2018, s. 171–186.
Michel Laub, O diário da queda (orig. 2011)/ Dziennik upadku, trans. Wojciech Charchalis, Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Pauza, 2020.
Clarice Lispector, A hora da estrela (orig.) / Godzina Gwiazdy, trans. Anna Hermanowicz-Pałka, Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 1987.
Tomasz Łychowski, Rio. Vislumbres / Rio. Przebłyski, a bilingual (Polish–Portuguese) volume, Rzeszów: Stowarzyszenie Literacko-Artystyczne "Fraza”, 2024 (ten i inne, wybrane tomy poezji)
José Carlos Marques, "A emigração portuguesa em tempos de imigração”, Polígonos. Revista de Geografía 20 / 2010, s. 115–129.
Rafael de Bivar Marquese, "A dinâmica da escravidão no Brasil: resistência, tráfico negreiro e alforrias, séculos XVII–XIX”, Novos Estudos CEBRAP 74 / 2006, s. 107–123.
Bruno Maroneze, Letícia Tranquile da Silva, "Polonês ou polaco: um caso de variação lexical na língua portuguesa”, Études romanes de Brno 42(1) / 2021, s. 201–215.
Jerzy Mazurek, "Specyfika polskiej emigracji do Brazylii”, Niepodległość i Pamięć 27(2) / 2020, s. 271–293.
Aleksandra Pajek, Polacy w Portugalii w latach II wojny światowej w polskiej literaturze dokumentu osobistego. Doświadczenia kulturowej inności, Warszawa: Muzeum Historii Polskiego Ruchu Ludowego / Biblioteka Iberyjska, 2023.
Henryk Siewierski, Jak dostałem Brazylię w prezencie, Kraków: Universitas, 1998.
Henryk Siewierski, Raj nie do utracenia. Amazońskie silva rerum, Kraków: Universitas, 2006.
José Miguel Wisnik, selected pieces and song lyrics (e.g. "São Paulo Rio”, "Terra estrangeira”, "Pérolas aos poucos”).

Additional information

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 3305-PC-01 in USOSweb