Historical Geography in Brazil: Examining Backgrounds and New Perspectives

Abstract

The sub-discipline of historical geography in Brazil, in contrast to the Anglophone and Francophone scholarship, often tends to be overlooked by the northern disciplinary history of this sub-discipline. In Brazil, historical geography studies emerged in the 1980s as a result of personal initiatives. Nonetheless, in the last few years, distinct generations of Brazilian historical geographers have contributed to this sub-discipline's promotion and recognition, mainly by diversifying their methodological approaches and research interests. Undoubtedly, developing transnational academic networks and collaborations represents a crucial contribution. This review provides an overview of the main Brazilian historical geographers engaged in studying past geographies. It delves into the central themes they address and also examines the academic conferences and research groups responsible for establishing institutional spaces to foster the practice of historical geography in Brazil in recent years. In doing so, the review calls for a ‘polyphonic’ approach to historical geography, urging the inclusion of southern sites of knowledge production and embracing a diverse scholarship beyond the English-speaking community.