Thematic Dossier | Lisbon Geographical Society [2028]
In recent decades, European institutions established during the 19th century with the purpose of mapping and acquiring knowledge within colonial contexts have undergone extensive re-examination. These institutions are no longer viewed as neutral repositories of knowledge. Instead, they are understood as tools of Western cultural hegemony, lending themselves to analytical critique as well as cultural and heritage reinterpretation and revitalization.
The founding of the Lisbon Geographical Society (Sociedade de Geografia de Lisboa; SGL) in 1875 marked the recognition in Portugal of a growing interest in matters related to the African continent. It sparked a series of missions, initiatives, and activities that today constitute an unparalleled and unquestionable legacy. This heritage warrants a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary revisiting considering ongoing international debates concerning the revision of historical narratives, the decolonization of heritage, and restitution.
The AHAM Journal invites submissions that analyze how the history of an institution was constructed, one that over more than 150 years, has survived turbulent political and social periods, as well as ideologically and culturally challenging times.
Researchers from fields such as History, Literature, Art, Politics, and Philosophy, among others, are invited to submit proposals offering new approaches to the past, present, and future existence of the institution. The SGL has long ceased to focus solely on geographical science and the African continent. Today, it integrates twenty-three professional sections: Public Administration; Agriculture; Anthropology; Archaeology; Arts and Literature; Military Sciences; Social Sciences and Jurisprudence; Demography and Social Hygiene; Economics; Heritage Studies; Luso-Arab Studies; Ethnography; Genealogy, Heraldry, and Phaleristics; Ocean Geography; Mathematical Geography and Cartography; History; History of Medicine; Industry; Public Instruction; Luís de Camões; Territorial Planning and Environment; Transportation; and Tourism. It also includes eleven general committees: African; American; Asian; Lusophone Communities; Côrte-Real Studies; European; History and Philosophy of Science; Infante D. Henrique, Order of Christ, and Expansion; Migrations; Nature Protection; and International Relations. Submissions should adopt a historically contextualized perspective to encompass these diverse areas of work and reflection.
In addition to the topics listed within the organizational structure of the Lisbon Geographical Society, subjects of interest particularly include the following themes:
- Revitalization and New Institutional Models;
- Sections, Founding Members, and Professional Profiles;
- General Committees, Conferences, and Exhibitions;
- Travel, Literature, Scientific Explorations, and Medical Knowledge;
- Facilities, Digital Challenges, and Sustainability;
- Heritage Studies and Tourism;
- Museological Critique, Decolonization of Knowledge, and Cultural Restitution and Reparations Policies.
Article proposals must be between 6,000 and 12,000 words in length (including footnotes, images, and bibliography). They should be submitted through the journal's platform by July 31, 2027. Authors are strongly advised to review the journal's editorial and formal submission guidelines.
Submissions are accepted in Portuguese, Spanish, English, French, or Italian. All manuscripts will undergo external double-blind peer review. This thematic issue is scheduled for publication in 2028.
