João Leal

João Leal serves as Full Professor in the Anthropology Department at NOVA University Lisbon's Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, maintaining dual affiliation with the Centre for Research in Anthropology (CRIA). His academic base is located at Av. Berna, 26-C in Lisbon.

He obtained his Doctorate in Anthropology in 1992 from Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), establishing his scholarly foundation in Portuguese anthropological traditions.

Professor Leal's research centers on Cultural Anthropology with distinct emphasis on Portuguese societal structures, historical anthropology, religious syncretism (particularly in Lusophone contexts), and rural sociology. His scholarly trajectory critically engages with pivotal historical moments like the Carnation Revolution, transnational migration narratives, and theoretical reassessments of foundational texts in Portuguese anthropology. This work demonstrates consistent focus on cultural identity formation within Portuguese-speaking communities across multiple continents.

His recent publication record reveals sustained scholarly engagement with Portuguese historical turning points, religious blending phenomena, and critical reappraisals of classic anthropological works. These publications collectively underscore his contribution to contextualizing Portuguese social dynamics within broader anthropological discourse.

As a senior academic, Professor Leal supervises graduate research and contributes to the field through his institutional roles at NOVA University Lisbon and CRIA. His office location at Av. Berna, 26-C serves as the operational hub for his academic activities, while his email joao.leal@fcsh.unl.pt remains the primary contact channel for scholarly inquiries.

The Centre for Research in Anthropology (CRIA) provides his primary research ecosystem, facilitating collaborative projects that bridge historical analysis with contemporary anthropological inquiry in Portuguese contexts.