The term "ethnography" stems etymologically from the Greek "ethnos" - a people and "grápho" - describe. To describe a people. How simple but yet complex!

The 19th Century saw the western world experience a chain of events and accomplishments in almost every sphere of human endeavour. It was an era wherein the thirst for the gleaning and deepening of knowledge was apparent in all its intellectual circles. The controversial book by Charles Darwin, "The Origin of the Species", published in 1859, amongst others by authors such as Letorneau, broached a vast range of evergreen issues: namely, the existential whys and wherefores, and served as an incentive to a great number of researchers who, in time, split up the fields of study into disciplines such as Ethnography, Sociology, Demographics, all stemming from the matrix of History and Archaeology.

These would once again reunite in the holism of Transdisciplinarity in the 20th Century in the 70's when Ethnography became socio-cultural anthropology.

Ethnography's main objective is to trace the passing of the individual in the ever changing contexts of micro social structures which harbour within Man's sociological behavioural patterns, the broader concepts of the ethnic group, region, people, and lastly, the nation. Inspired by the German schools of thought, the first Portuguese ethnologists began the gigantic task of recording for posterity the enormous content of popular regional cultures, in their search for a Portuguese national identity. Portuguese ethnography owes much to the renowned group "Geração de 70" (The 70's Generation), which included such illustrious names from the Portuguese literary world as Teofilo Braga, Adolfo Coelho, Oliveira Martins, Leite Vasconcelos, among others.

As ethnography has its roots in popular culture, it is accessible to anyone! And as such, we look forward to receiving your valuable contribution!