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| Brazilian Anthropological Association | |
|---|---|
| Name | Brazilian Anthropological Association |
| Native name | Associação Brasileira de Antropologia |
| Native name lang | pt |
| Abbreviation | ABA |
| Formation | 1940s |
| Headquarters | Brasília |
| Region served | Brazil |
| Language | Portuguese |
| Leader title | President |
Brazilian Anthropological Association is a professional society for anthropologists in Brazil that promotes research, teaching, and public engagement across fields such as cultural anthropology, social anthropology, archaeology, and linguistics. It serves as a nexus linking universities, museums, research institutes, indigenous organizations, and international bodies to foster collaboration among scholars and practitioners. The Association has been influential in debates involving indigenous rights, heritage management, urban studies, and public policy, engaging with both national institutions and transnational networks.
The Association traces its origins to mid-20th century initiatives connecting figures from the Museu Nacional (Brazil), Universidade de São Paulo, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, and regional centers, influenced by intellectuals who engaged with the legacies of Claude Lévi-Strauss, Darcy Ribeiro, Gilberto Freyre, Sérgio Buarque de Holanda, Florestan Fernandes, and Roberto DaMatta. Early milestones involved collaborations with the Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional, Fundação Nacional do Índio (FUNAI), and international partners such as the Royal Anthropological Institute, American Anthropological Association, and International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences. The Association navigated periods of political change during the Brazilian military government (1964–1985), engaging with debates around censorship and academic freedom in dialogue with institutions like the Ministério da Educação (Brazil), Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, and regional councils. In later decades it expanded ties to museums such as the Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia (USP), Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, and scholarly presses including Editora UNESP and Editora FGV.
The Association is organized with an elected board linking representatives from major universities, regional sections, and thematic commissions, interacting with bodies like the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico and the Conselho Federal de Serviço Social. Its statutes define governance through assemblies, executive committees, and editorial boards that coordinate with research centers such as the Centro Brasileiro de Análise e Planejamento, Instituto de Pesquisa Econômica Aplicada, and museum curators from the Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional. The Association maintains standing committees on ethics, fieldwork protocols, and indigenous consultation, working alongside organizations like Secretaria Especial de Cultura, Ministério da Saúde (Brazil), and regional university departments at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul and Universidade Federal do Ceará.
Membership comprises faculty, graduate students, curators, and independent researchers affiliated with institutions such as Universidade de Brasília, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, Universidade Federal Fluminense, and research units like Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária. The Association supports regional chapters in states including São Paulo (state), Rio de Janeiro (state), Pará, Bahia, Rio Grande do Sul, and Minas Gerais, as well as thematic groups focused on archaeology, urban anthropology, medical anthropology, and linguistic anthropology linked to entities like Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Museu do Índio, and Instituto Socioambiental. It also collaborates with indigenous organizations such as Coordenação das Organizações Indígenas da Amazônia Brasileira and civil society networks including Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra.
The Association publishes peer-reviewed journals and monograph series managed by editorial boards in partnership with university presses like Editora da Universidade de Brasília, Editora da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, and international publishers. Its flagship periodicals have featured contributions engaging with scholars associated with Max Weber, Émile Durkheim, Franz Boas, Bronisław Malinowski, and contemporary researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Oxford, Harvard University, and University of Cambridge. Research themes cover indigenous studies, Afro-Brazilian religiosities tied to institutions such as Ilê Aiyê and Candomblé, urbanization studies intersecting with municipal governments like Prefeitura de São Paulo, and heritage debates involving the Museu do Amanhã and Museu Nacional (Rio de Janeiro). The Association’s publications also address methodologies from ethnography to archaeological survey, citing collaborations with the Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia (USP) and laboratories at Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina.
The Association organizes national congresses, regional symposia, and thematic workshops drawing participants from universities, museums, and non-governmental organizations such as Greenpeace Brasil and Anistia Internacional Brasil. Major meetings rotate among host cities like Brasília, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belém, and Salvador, often featuring keynote speakers affiliated with institutions like the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of California, Berkeley, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, and the Centro de Estudos Sociais (Coimbra). Events include panels on indigenous rights, curated exhibitions with the Museu do Índio, and field schools in collaboration with archaeological sites administered by the Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional.
The Association engages in policy advocacy on issues affecting cultural heritage, indigenous territories, and research ethics, interfacing with agencies such as FUNAI, Instituto Nacional de Colonização e Reforma Agrária, and the Ministério do Meio Ambiente (Brazil). It issues position papers responding to legislative proposals in the Congresso Nacional (Brazil), files amicus briefs in cases before the Supremo Tribunal Federal, and partners with international defenders of human rights including Human Rights Watch and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to address land demarcation, patrimony protection, and academic freedoms.
The Association grants prizes and honorary distinctions recognizing lifetime achievement, best doctoral dissertation, and outstanding museum curation, often named in honor of prominent figures associated with Brazilian anthropology and awarded in partnership with universities like Universidade de São Paulo and cultural institutions such as the Museu Nacional (Brazil). Recipients have included scholars linked to projects supported by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, recipients of national awards, and international fellows associated with institutes such as the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Category:Anthropology organizations Category:Scientific organisations based in Brazil