The Carnation Revolution and democratic practices

Abstract

The Portuguese Revolution of 1974-1975 was not soley the beginning of its modern democracy, but also a laboratory where different futures and democratic models were essayed. This article argues for a refocusing of the revolutionary period as a moment when the future was undetermined and, beyond the elites, a large part of the population was engaged in this process of experimentation. It suggests historical ethnography is an important tool to meet this challenge and uncover those varied experiences and visions, contributing to a reflection about democracy in the present and in the future.