On the complexity of a concept: University in Trás-os-Montes, anthropology, and development in a dual Portugal after April 25, 1974

Abstract

In this text, I critically explore Portugal’s material and immaterial development over the past 50 years, taking as my reference the university project in Trás-os-Montes. I do so based on a personal, wandering, and impressive reading that leads me to compare life there (where I work) with that of Greater Lisbon (where I live). The argument allows me to address the complexity and multidimensionality of the concept of development, while also advancing some fields and lines of reflection and thought that deserve and can be explored by anthropology—particularly within the scope of a more inclusive knowledge project that integrates the more-than-human.