Economy, Society and Politics of Contemporary Portugal

In a period when globalization, the impressive speed of information, turbulence, volatility and uncertainty characterise the mega environment at the political, economic and social levels, and where, at the same time, we are faced with a heterogeneous performance of European States, it becomes essential a scientific analysis of these issues, in a contemporary historical perspective; its results will allow to lay down reforms and to project future sceneries. These changes, close to the lives of the citizens, require a serious attempt of Science at creating an ethical, democratic and developed society through a new global paradigm of sustainable development, organizational learning and social synergies. Thus, the main focus of this Research Group is on the analysis of the transformations of contemporary capitalism, its agents, institutions and processes. Therefore, economy, society, culture, behaviour and politics are closely linked, interacting, focused on Portugal in its spatial dimension. Our research, carried out by a highly qualified and multidisciplinary work group, through a solid base knowledge network and different skills, allows the scientific enrichment of complex study areas and of some of the most prevailing phenomena in the Portuguese economy and society.

This multidisciplinarity of human resources includes doctorate researchers in the fields of Economy, Management, Contemporary History, Political Sciences, Law, Sociology, Psychology and Psychiatry and Education Sciences. Nevertheless, this heterogeneity is organized in a consistent, coherent way, around three main research angles: “Institutional Economy and Public Choice”, “Society, Culture and Behaviour” and “Political and Institutional History”. The main aims of these research lines are the study of regional, technological and organizational innovation, which might result in important conclusions capable of supporting the definition of national and regional innovation policies, but also the economic analysis of corruption, aiming at identifying its determinant factors in a multidisciplinary and compared study perspective; public management: the study of important private companies and businessmen from Northern Portugal: and the evolution of the political and institutional history of Contemporary Portugal, especially the municipal powers and the Parliament.