The invention of GIS and the maturity of the social sciences in Portugal

Abstract

This text, marking the 60th anniversary of GIS-ICS, revisits certain facets of an institutional history bearing upon the emergence of modernity in Portuguese social sciences. Focusing on the analytical contributions of Adérito Sedas Nunes – the main protagonist behind Gis’ foundation –
the article elaborates on the transition from corporatism to sociology, a path that reflects the gradual maturation of a certain approach to the obstacles that hindered the development of Portuguese society and the ways to overcome them. The 60th anniversary of GIS-ICS constitutes, therefore, a fitting occasion to recognize its historical importance and its consensual status as an institution of reference in Portuguese social sciences.