Roberto DaMatta

Roberto DaMatta is a Full Professor of Anthropology at Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio). Formerly, he held the Rev. Edmund Joyce Chair in Anthropology at the University of Notre Dame (1987–2004) and served as Head of the Anthropology Department and Coordinator of the Graduate Program in Social Anthropology at Brazil’s National Museum (UFRJ). His research focuses on Brazilian cultural systems, ritual analysis, and societal structures, examining topics like carnival, football, citizenship, and indigenous communities (Apinayé and Gaviões). He conducted ethnographic fieldwork and pioneered studies on festivals in industrial societies.

Education:

• B.A. in History (Universidade Federal Fluminense)
• Specialization in Social Anthropology (National Museum, UFRJ)
• M.A. and Ph.D. (Peabody Museum, Harvard University)

DaMatta’s work interrogates Brazil’s cultural paradoxes through analyses of time, space, and social categories. His interdisciplinary approach bridges anthropology with sociology, exploring how symbols and rituals shape national identity. During his 2010 residency at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), he delivered lectures and workshops organized by the Lemann Center for Brazilian Studies.

No scientific awards or grant details are explicitly mentioned in the text. His academic contributions focus on qualitative research rather than grant-dependent projects.